Yuan Jiajun, governor of Zhejiang province addressed the opening ceremony. He said the sea area is vital for the development of new industries, while the island tourism has been one of the highlights of maritime economy. Zhejiang hopes to jointly explore tourist resources with other countries and establish cooperative relations with the outside world, Yuan said.

Du Jiang, vice chairman of China National Tourism Administration, attached great importance to IITCZS. He said that the platform will be perfect for international participants to have exchanges and promote cooperation.

Zhoushan has been the host city of the international islands tourism conference on two previous occasions. Through organizing the conference, the island city has demonstrated the beauty and charm of Chinese coastal tourism to the world and gained more popularity for its seascapes.

The publishing of the "Zhoushan Archipelago Consensus on the Development of International Island Tourism" and the "World Islands Tourism Development Report" in 2015 and 2016 strengthened Zhoushan's leading position in international island tourism and set higher standards in the field.

Yuan Jiajun, governor of Zhejiang province extends a warm welcome to attendees of 2017 IITCZS and expresses his expectations on the results of the conference. [Photo/Zhoushan Fabu Weibo]