Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province recorded over 3.34 million tourist visits during the seven-day holiday since Feb 11. [Photo/WeChat account:huzhoufabu]

Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province recorded over 3.34 million tourist visits during the seven-day holiday starting on Feb 11, generating 2.535 billion yuan ($390 million) in tourism revenue, according to official data.

Numerous local scenic attractions experienced a boom in visitor numbers during the holiday as residents from the city avoided long distance travel because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The city's scenic spots including Nanxun Ancient Town, Yuanxiang Small Town and Skyland were among the most-visited tourist spots during the holiday.

Local authorities introduced a string of measures to encourage non-locals to stay put during the Spring Festival holiday.

Starting on Feb 1, a total of 69 A-level scenic spots in Huzhou were opened to visitors for free, while 85 cultural venues across the city observed normal operations during the holiday. 

To date, the city has given out 51.5 million yuan in tourism coupons and 1 million in admission tickets to scenic spots.

The average occupancy rate of the city's hotels and homestays reported positive growth during the holiday as compared with the same period in 2020.

The duration that overnight visitors spent in the city was 0.2 days longer than the provincial average, ranking third in Zhejiang province.

Meanwhile, Huzhou also saw a robust growth in consumption during the Spring Festival holiday.

The sales of 85 key business enterprises in the city spanning sectors, including accommodation, catering and film, amounted to 1.015 billion yuan over the seven-day holiday, a yearly uptick of 45.4 percent.