With more than 1,100 tourism programs in development and investment of 823 billion yuan ($132.5 billion) in 2014, Zhejiang authorities' ambition to brand the province as a world tourism destination is clear.

Thirty-one of the tourism programs had an investment of at least 5 billion yuan each. A total of 288 billion yuan was invested in these projects. Another 11 programs, each with investment of more than 10 billion yuan, are also being developed.

The provincial authorities have set a key target for 2015 and beyond of developing tourism programs that total 1,000 billion yuan.

Above: Wuzhen, one of the top tourism destinations in Zhejiang province, has a history that goes back some 6,000 years. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Top: The West Lake is the best known attraction in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province. Zhang Weihua / For China Daily

According to its plan for tourism development (2014-2017), the province is targeting a total of 1,200 tourism programs to be developed by 2017, with the target for total investment volume and actual investment volume set at 1 trillion yuan and 400 billion yuan.

The province also plans to build a provincial-level database for key tourism programs.

In addition, the authorities are set to speed up the progress of key tourism programs, especially those with investment of more than 5 billion yuan. The provincial authority is trying to ensure that at least 100 tourism programs will be listed as key tourism programs at national and provincial levels.

The key tourism program will receive policy support in terms of program approval and ensuring the supply of key elements for program development.

"We should ensure that every year there will be a group of major tourism programs commencing construction, and each year there will a group of major tourism programs being completed," the plan states.

The province is set to host a number of introduction and marketing events, procurement fairs and meetings between banks and businesses, to ensure that social capital will be connected with tourism programs.

The tourism authority is also aiming to attract a number of globally well-known tourism management businesses, State-owned enterprises and the nation's top 500 private companies to the province for tourism development.

"We are aiming to develop tourism in Zhejiang into a pillar industry in the province and make it a modern service industry that satisfies the demands of people in the province," the plan states.

The plan also targets a yearly increase in the number of tourists to the province of 10 percent from 2014 to 2017 to further increase the benefits of the industry. The total number of tourist trips to the province is expected to reach 650 million in 2017, while the total revenue brought in by tourism is expected to exceed 1 trillion yuan.

The share of the domestic tourist market and inbound and outbound tourism markets must be better balanced within the tourism industry, the plan says. Holiday visits and commercial exhibitions are also expected to make up a bigger share of the province's tourism.

According to the plan, tourism must contribute 6.7 percent of the province's GDP growth by 2017, while the targeted share of tourism for the growth of the service sector is expected to be 14 percent.

The tax revenue generated by tourism is expected to make up 7 percent of the provincial finances by 2017, according to the plan. More than 3.5 million people are expected to be employed in the tourism industry by then, accounting for more than 8 percent of the province's labor market.

The quality of service must also be improved, the plan says.

"The development of the industry must be shared by tourists, industry employees and residents," the plan states.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/28/2015 page15)