The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Development and Reform Commission hosted a national conference on culture and tourism consumption in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on Sept 17.

A total of 16 government representatives from 16 national pilot cities for culture and tourism consumption reform in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Shandong, shared their experiences upgrading their cities' culture and tourism industries by adopting the latest information technology, developing a vibrant digital economy, and strengthening cooperation between governments, banks, and enterprises.

That same day, Zhejiang authorities hosted a conference on developing rural tourism in Jiangshan, a county-level city administered by Quzhou. Agreements for a total of 17 tourism projects with a combined investment of 42 billion yuan ($6.19 billion) were signed at the conference.

By the end of this August, a total of 2,702 tourism projects were underway, with an estimated combined investment of 1.93 trillion yuan.

In addition, in an effort to boost rural homestay tourism, Zhejiang recently designated 15 specific areas across the province's vast rural areas to pilot reforms for the rural homestay industry. Zhejiang currently has 40 villages designated by the central government as key villages for rural tourism, more than any other province in China.