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Li Guiyang gives a speech during the 2025 General Meeting of the Ancient Town Tourism Development Alliance. [Photo/Tide News]

The 2025 General Meeting of the Ancient Town Tourism Development Alliance was held in Jiaxing city, East China's Zhejiang province, from May 18 to19.

Representatives from 22 member towns, including Wuzhen, Nanxun, and Lijiang, as well as cultural tourism experts and representatives from companies, joined an in-depth discussion about the preservation and innovation strategies of ancient towns.

During the meeting, Feng Xiang, a researcher at the Shanghai Institute for Global Cities, analyzed gaps in inbound tourism for ancient towns from the perspectitive of an international visitor.

Li Guiyang, general manager of the Zhejiang division of Trip.com Group's cooperation and development department, also vice-president of Zhejiang Tourism Scenic Spots Association, talked about the data-driven strategies that aim to enhance experiences through brand integration and targeted marketing.

The Jiaxing bureau of culture, radio, television and tourism partnered up with Trip.com Group to launch the "Discover Jiaxing through Chinese Ancient Towns" global impact plan.

The initiative features 10 customized routes for international travelers on the Trip platform, two overseas platform campaigns, two global events, an English-language "Jiaxing travel guide" for 50 countries, and the dynamic data optimization.

Utilizing its core location in Yangtze River Delta region, Jiaxing benefits from the high-speed railway network that links to Shanghai and Hangzhou cities, alongside Zhejiang's 240-hour visa-free transit policy.

From January to April this year, the city hosted 174,000 overnight international tourist trips, a 40.9 percent year-on-year increase — the highest growth rate seen during the period in Zhejiang.

As the alliance's founding member, Jiaxing is aiming to set a benchmark for ancient town tourism — combining shared branding and cross-promotions to showcase China's cultural heritage globally.