China’s stunning city of Hangzhou has already welcomed 1.3 million visitors between the months of January and May this year and expects to see many more travellers enter the city before the end of 2016 as a result of hosting the G20 Summit this September.

According to the China National Tourism Administration, approximately 625,000 UK tourists visit China annually and, with this autumn’s high-profile event further raising awareness of the city, Hangzhou Tourism Commission is expecting this figure to grow significantly from October onwards.

The G20 Summit will take place from September 4th-5th and will shine the spotlight on the host city that gained the moniker ‘paradise on earth’ by explorer Marco Polo.

The city is also recognised as a centre for wealth and innovation and is dubbed the ‘Silicon Valley of China,’ making it an ideal destination for MICE events. 

In preparation for the G20 Summit, the capital city of the Zhejiang province is investing in a series of trade and media partnerships in order to raise its profile in its three core European markets - the UK, France and Germany.

On August 8th, Hangzhou Tourism Commission launched a month-long partnership with online travel agent ODIGEO across its UK, French and German sites opodo and govoyages.

The campaign includes Hangzhou microsites featuring special offers on each of the three portals as well as further information on the destination, its main attractions and rich history.

Hangzhou Tourism Commission is aiming to highlight why the city, which is just 52 minutes by bullet train from Shanghai and offers direct flights to Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Madrid and Moscow, should feature on all China travel itineraries.

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Hangzhou is one of the most economically vibrant cities in China.

Its local GDP in 2014 reached 920.16 billion yuan per capita, ranking it fourth highest among the country’s provincial capital cities

The city advocates creativity and is one of the leading hubs for cartoon and animation production and development.

The e-commerce giant Alibaba was formed in the city and is still headquartered in Hangzhou.

Since 30 January 2016, a 144-hour visa-free transit policy has been carried out in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to facilitate international travellers.

This policy allows passengers from 51 countries or regions to transit in Hangzhou for no more than 144 hours (six days) without holding a visa.

During the layover period, passengers can move around the three regions but are not permitted to visit other cities of China.

A free Wi-Fi service called i-hangzhou is offered across the city.

Locals and visitors can enjoy one hour of free cycling on the city’s public bikes each day.

Image courtesy of Hangzhou Tourism