The 265-kilometer Hangzhou-Huangshan line has become a popular tourism route in the Yangtze River Delta region. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, is stepping up efforts to integrate cultural and tourism resources and advance regional cooperation with neighboring cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region.

The region includes the municipality of Shanghai along with the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui. Inter-city tourism and shopping have become the norm across the region due to geographical proximity and a shared culture.

Last December, a rail line linking Hangzhou and Huangshan in Anhui province opened to the public, serving as a key route for tourists and boosting visitor numbers in the delta region.

As of March this year, the 265-kilometer line has served 1.5 million visitors and greatly boosted the tourism development of Hangzhou and Huangshan.

Officials from the Hangzhou Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV, Film, and Tourism said the railway line, which connects seven 5A-level scenic spots and 50 4A-level tourist attractions, will be beneficial to the medium and long distance domestic tourism market as well as the overseas market.

To provide a more efficient and convenient travel experience for tourists, Hangzhou has digitalized its tourism industry by launching a tourism route app driven by an AI urban traffic management system.

Official statistics reveal that in 2018, Hangzhou received 184.03 million tourists from home and abroad, up 13 percent year on year, generating 358.9 billion yuan ($51 billion) in tourism revenue.

Officials said that Hangzhou will continue to integrate regional resources and increase the international profile of Hangzhou tourism so as to contribute to the prosperous tourism economy in the YRD region.