Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra and musicians from Italy perform at a corridor bridge in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, April 20, 2025. With its passionate and vibrant melody, the cross-border musical performance attracted scores of audiences. [Dong Xuming for China Daily]

East China's Zhejiang province has launched a pilot program for the innovative development of inbound tourism, naming eight counties or districts, 17 towns, and 29 scenic areas as test sites.

Announced by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism, the initiative aims to build on existing international appeal. Selection focused on areas with strong cultural assets, global visibility, and proven tourism infrastructure.

For example, Hangzhou's Shangcheng district — rich in Song Dynasty (960-1279) heritage — is set to develop its cultural brand. Plans include expanding non-heritage experiences like traditional Chinese medicine, refreshing the urban tourism environment, and scaling up in-store tax refund services to allow tourists to claim refunds instantly.

Inbound travel is already rebounding. From January to March, Zhejiang hosted 750,000 overnight international visitors, up 20.3 percent from last year, earning $440 million in foreign exchange.

To support the pilot zones, the province released a policy list.

Highlights include expanding in-store tax refund programs, improving refund services, and increasing the number of qualifying merchants. Currently, Zhejiang has 262 tax refund stores — 14 of them offer in-store and immediate refunds. That number is expected to grow to 66 stores and 11 cities soon.

The initiative also considers traveler preferences. For instance, visitors from Japan and South Korea favor natural landscapes and religious culture, while tourists from Europe and the United States are drawn to street life and living heritage. The selected zones reflect this range, offering varied attractions to suit different markets.