Zhoushan in East China's Zhejiang province generated 72.39 billion yuan in tourism revenue in the first nine months of this year, a year-on-year decrease of 18.91 percent, according to local media reports.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year, the number of tourists who visited Zhoushan from China and other countries experienced an 18.3 percent decline from January to September, falling to 48.91 million.
Statistics show that the tourism industry in Zhoushan began a significant rebound in June when the number of tourists and registered guests in local hotels increased 10.49 percent and 2.16 percent year-on-year, respectively, both ranking first in Zhejiang.
The two figures experienced double-digit growth through the remainder of the summer – 23.06 percent (tourist numbers) and 19.42 percent (hotel guests) in July, 25.18 percent and 18.22 percent in August.
The accommodation sector experienced the fastest recovery in Zhoushan's tourism industry. In August, the occupancy rate of hospitality facilities in Zhoushan reached 67.22 percent, a 3.86 percent year-on-year increase.
Zhoushan has launched nighttime tours and new air routes to help restore the local tourism industry. In the first nine months of 2020, the nighttime tours in Zhujiajian scenic area attracted more than 2,000 tourists per day, and the Putuoshan airport set a record for daily passenger throughput at 6,108 commuters.
Zhoushan also plans to invest 37.56 billion yuan in 82 tourism projects to lay a solid foundation for the high-quality development of the tourism industry.