[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Belt and Road development has brought great opportunities for cultural tourism development," said Zhao Jinyong, head of the Zhejiang tourism bureau.

He added that Zhejiang abounds in historical heritage and tourism resources and will strive to transform itself into an international destination.

The forum is an influential academic one in China's tourism industry and has relied on the tourism expertise of the Beijing International Studies University.