The permanent venue of the International Islands Tourism Conference is located in Zhujiajian Island, Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/IC] 

The 2019 International Islands Tourism Conference will be held in Zhoushan, an island city in East China's Zhejiang province, from Aug 28 to 30, local media recently reported. 

Adopting the catchy slogan "New Islands, New Scenarios, New Momentum", the conference will focus on the present and future of island tourism industry by exploring the sustainable development of China's island tourism and increasing the international appeal of domestic islands.

Initiated in 2015 and hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the provincial government of Zhejiang, the conference has gained plenty of attention and popularity over the past few years.

The first conference in 2015 saw the attendance of officials from 30 island cities in 25 countries and regions, and saw Zhoushan designated as the permanent venue for the event.

Guests from 30 island cities in 25 countries and regions attend the first International Islands Tourism Conference on Oct 13, 2015. [Photo/IC]

The second conference in 2016 was attended by nearly 1,000 guests, including officials from 26 countries and regions, as well as representatives from international tourism organizations, cultural and tourism companies, investors and research institutes. An islands tourism expo was also held for the first time, with a total transaction value of 55.3 million yuan ($8.02 million).

The last conference in 2017, attended by more than 1,300 guests from 45 countries and regions, witnessed the signing of over 30 projects worth around 100 billion yuan. Fifteen projects involved Zhoushan. More than 100 reporters from 60 media outlets at home and abroad covered the event.

China is home to more than 11,000 islands, with the scale of the current island tourism market topping 100 billion yuan. Yet the development of island tourism still lags behind overseas countries.

The conference will invite overseas island cities to share their experiences and help promote the domestic island tourism industry. 

A variety of tourism activities such as water sports and high-tech games will be introduced to boost the growth of island tourism.

In addition, global academic scholars and professionals will be invited to discuss how to cultivate more talents and drive the growth of island tourism.