Quzhou is striving to become a concert city by developing its cultural and tourism industries.

The city, located in the western part of Zhejiang province, has a long history, ingrained cultural heritage and picturesque landscapes. In a move towards cultural development, Quzhou is positioning itself as a hub for tourism and arts.

Zhejiang Television hosted a New Year's Gala at the Quzhou Sports Center on Tuesday, marking the second consecutive year the event has taken place in the city.

Ren Deyi, the chief scriptwriter of Zhejiang TV's New Year Gala, described the city as "an emerging area for the cultural and tourism industries".

"This New Year's concert has been in preparation for a year," said Zhi Le, deputy director of Quzhou's sports bureau. "Through these cultural and sports activities, we aim to attract various groups of tourists to visit Quzhou and get to know the city."

In recent years, Quzhou has focused on upgrading its tourism experience and creating an environment that will make tourists wish to stay longer and return.

In line with these efforts, Quzhou released the "Global Free Travel to Quzhou Optimization Plan" in 2024. It outlines that from Nov 1 to Mar 31 of the following year (excluding the Spring Festival holiday), 14 core tourist attractions in the city will be free for international visitors.

Thanks to concerts, sports events, the city's culinary offerings and the free admission to scenic spots, Quzhou's tourism has seen a notable increase. According to official statistics, in November 2024, the number of group tourists hosted by Quzhou's travel agencies reached 320,300, a historic high for a single month.

It's reported that Quzhou hosted over 600 sports events, concerts and other activities last year, directly generating over 560 million yuan ($76.7 million) in consumption and indirectly stimulating nearly 1.7 billion yuan in the local economy.

According to Quzhou's cultural, radio, television, and tourism bureau, with the influx of tourists, the city has demonstrated its hospitality with a "Quzhou Welcomes You" approach. To ensure a comfortable experience for visitors, the city has advocated for hotels and shops to maintain regular pricing and promoted various cultural and tourism attractions.