Hangzhou, a city abundant with tourism resources, is now intensifying its efforts to establish itself as an international tourist destination. Recently, the Hangzhou municipal government issued a notice outlining ten measures aimed at accelerating the development of a world-class international tourism hub. Among these, it supports market entities in utilizing online platforms to promote Hangzhou's inbound tourism image, offering subsidies of up to 3 million yuan for eligible initiatives. It also seeks to cultivate overseas promotion ambassadors for Hangzhou's culture and tourism, with outstanding contributors receiving subsidies of up to 300,000 yuan.
In October 2024, the State Council approved the Hangzhou Territorial Space Master Plan (2021-2035), which clearly defines the city's core functional positioning as an "international tourism destination." The measures introduced by Hangzhou are intended to expedite the development of a world-class destination featuring superior product offerings, a more comprehensive service system, a more tourist-friendly environment, and enhanced international influence. The city aims to achieve 1.9 million inbound overnight visitors and tourism foreign exchange revenue of $1.85 billion by 2028, while also striving for a higher ranking in authoritative international world tourism city listings.
These ten measures, set to take effect from September 8, 2026, focus on two key metrics: the number of inbound overnight visitors and their consumption. They provide targeted support across several areas, including creating landmark new international tourism products, fostering new "artificial intelligence + culture and tourism" business models, expanding new channels for international tourists to visit Hangzhou, building a diversified cooperative marketing system, and stimulating new momentum from performances, events, and cultural tourism.
Regarding the creation of landmark international tourism products, the document states the goal is to strengthen core intellectual property around World Cultural Heritage sites. This involves high-level advancement in the protection and exploration of the cultural connotations of sites like West Lake, the Grand Canal (Hangzhou section), and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, effectively amplifying the cluster effect of these three World Heritage sites to create world-class core tourism attractions. It also aims to accelerate the development of high-grade tourist attractions and resorts, plan and construct a batch of leading major tourism projects to high standards. Eligible projects can receive subsidies of up to 2 million yuan for related facilities, with special support provided for particularly significant projects.
In cultivating new "AI + culture and tourism" business models, the city will enhance cooperation with national AI application pilot bases, vigorously develop technology tours and study tours, promote international consumption of "new tech specialties," and foster new scenarios for inbound intelligent tourism consumption. It will accelerate the deep integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, embodied AI, smart terminals, digital twins, virtual reality, and augmented reality with tourism scenarios, creating new intelligent cultural tourism settings and expanding experiential consumption. Eligible projects in this area can receive subsidies of up to 1 million yuan.
To broaden new channels for international tourists entering Hangzhou, the document proposes deepening tourism integration within the Yangtze River Delta, strengthening tourism image promotion, establishing mechanisms for joint overseas market promotion and mutual delivery of inbound tourists, and precisely targeting overseas tourist source markets. It will implement the "Attracting Shanghai to Hangzhou" plan and the "Twin Cities Tale" cooperation with Ningbo, offering preferential and convenient services for international tourists entering from or residing in Shanghai and Ningbo who travel to Hangzhou.
Concurrently, it supports market entities in using online platforms to promote Hangzhou's inbound tourism image, with subsidies of up to 3 million yuan for eligible efforts. Strong support is also given to market entities organizing in-depth tours in Hangzhou for inbound tourists. Subsidies are categorized, offering up to 60 yuan per person per night for attracting and hosting inbound tourists staying in Hangzhou for 1, 2, or 3 nights and above. For organizing inbound tourist charter flights with stays of 2 nights or more in Hangzhou, subsidies of up to 150,000 yuan per flight are available, with an annual cap of 500,000 yuan per market entity.
In building a diversified cooperative marketing system, the city will strengthen the promotion of Hangzhou's tourism image, support market entities in participating in international tourism exhibitions, and provide certain subsidies, with a focus on supporting enterprises and institutions participating in government-organized outbound tourism promotion activities. It will also establish an overseas new media promotion matrix and cultivate overseas promotion ambassadors for Hangzhou's culture and tourism, offering subsidies of up to 300,000 yuan to outstanding promotion entities that make significant contributions.
Regarding stimulating new momentum from performances, events, and cultural tourism, the document specifies subsidies of up to 1 million yuan for market entities that introduce internationally renowned or domestically top-tier concerts, music festivals, as well as internationally famous theatrical productions and concerts that are national premieres or exclusive stops. For individual projects where overseas audience attendance reaches 3% or more, an additional one-time subsidy of 300,000 yuan is provided. Special support will be given for introducing particularly significant international concerts and music festivals. Major international cultural and tourism events with substantial international influence that significantly enhance the city's brand can receive subsidies of up to 1 million yuan.
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