The tourism industry becomes a new driver of green economic development in Taizhou. [Photo by Chen Caisheng for chinadaily.com.cn]

The tourism industry has become a new driver of green economic development in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, local media reported on July 8.

In recent years, the city has doubled down on the development of the tourism industry by developing new tourism attractions and constructing more tourist facilities.

In the first three quarters of 2019, Taizhou received 88.54 million visitors, a year-on-year increase of 9 percent, and the total revenue of the city's tourism industry reached 97.37 billion yuan ($13.9 billion), a 10.7 percent increase year-on-year.

Large numbers of visitors to Taizhou have not only boosted the local tourism industry, but also driven the development of catering, accommodation, and more.

For example, western Huangyan district is home to a number of natural attractions, including Budai Mountain, Fushan Rift Valley, and 18 pools, attracting many visitors every year. These visitors in turn help popularize local snacks and agricultural products.

From February to April, Ningxi town in Huangyan received more than 1.3 million visitors, and the total revenue of its catering, accommodation, and other service sectors was over 50 million yuan.

The homestay industry has also experienced strong development in Taizhou. Tahou village in Tiantai county currently has a total of 60 homestays and received more than 190,000 visitors last year. Nearly 30 percent of villagers in Taihou are involved in the homestay industry.