Tourists enjoy the festive atmosphere in Puyuan, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tourism in Zhejiang province is off to a strong start in 2025, according to statistics from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism.

From January to March, the province welcomed over 218 million tourists, a 10.6 percent increase from last year. Tourism revenue reached 300.58 billion yuan ($41.25 billion), up 11.8 percent.

Overnight travel led to the boom. Nearly 119 million people stayed overnight in the province, generating 212.3 billion yuan in revenue — up 13.7 percent year-on-year. Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Wenzhou together accounted for nearly half of all overnight stays.

Inbound tourism also picked up. Zhejiang received 750,000 overnight foreign visitors in the first quarter, a 20.3 percent rise. Foreign exchange earnings hit $440 million, up 20.7 percent.

The visitor mix is shifting. Domestic travel within the province reached 165 million trips, growing 8.4 percent. County-level destinations proved popular, with local and cross-county trips making up over 70 percent of that figure.

Zhejiang is also drawing more visitors from outside the province. Out-of-province tourists made up 24.2 percent of all travelers, up 1.5 percentage points from last year.

Main events drove the trend. Concerts and sports like World Cup qualifiers have helped pull in fans from across China. Ticket holders enjoy travel deals on attractions, exhibitions, and hotels, making it easy to turn a stadium visit into a scenic tour.