Tourists visit West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Oct 1, 2025. [Photo/VCG]

Zhejiang recorded 877 million tourist visits in 2025, up 9.2 percent year-on-year, with total tourism revenue reaching 1.22 trillion yuan ($177.52 billion), an increase of 10.2 percent, according to the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism.

Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Wenzhou ranked top in total visits, receiving 236 million, 117 million, and 104 million visits respectively. Huzhou, Zhoushan, and Taizhou posted the fastest growth rates, up 14 percent, 12.4 percent, and 10.8 percent.

Inbound tourism expanded strongly. The province received about 4.19 million overnight inbound visitors, up 24.9 percent, generating $4.29 billion in international tourism revenue, up 27.5 percent. Jiaxing, Huzhou, and Quzhou recorded the fastest growth in overnight inbound arrivals.

According to Zhejiang's border inspection authorities, ports across the province handled 789,000 inbound foreign arrivals, up 25.4 percent year-on-year. Arrivals from South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, India, and Thailand ranked highest. Visa-free entries through Zhejiang ports rose 119 percent to 280,000.

Departure tax refund services also expanded. The province processed 10,525 refund transactions in 2025, with related sales reaching 313 million yuan and refunds totaling 34.43 million yuan, both up 119.8 percent. By year-end, Zhejiang had 448 "instant refund" stores, the highest number nationwide.

Zhejiang hosted 273 large-scale commercial performances, attracting 4.33 million attendees and generating 2.88 billion yuan in box office revenue, up 12.3 percent and 20 percent respectively, driving more than 19.7 billion yuan in related consumption.

The six-month "ZheBA" Zhejiang Provincial City Basketball League generated over 3 billion yuan in comprehensive consumption, reflecting deeper integration of sports, culture, and tourism.