Hangzhou polishes image as a rewarding place to go

Tableware used by the spouses of G20 leaders at a luncheon during the recently concluded G20 Summit is displayed at Louwailou restaurant in Hangzhou. The tableware was an immediate hit with visitors and residents.[Photo by Lian Guoqing/For China Daily]

"We saw ticket prices for many other attractions double or even triple, but Hangzhou sacrificed a loss in ticket revenue for the development of the tourism industry and the service sector as a whole, "He said.

The number of tourists who visited Hangzhou in 2015 more than tripled the number from a decade ago, while revenue from the tourism industry in 2015 was roughly eight times greater, reaching nearly 100 billion yuan ($15 billion), Shanghai-based Xinmin Weekly reported.

Another of Hangzhou's strengths is that it has continued to develop new projects, He said, citing Xixi Wetland, an 11-square-kilo-meter wetland park, as an example.

High standards of urban sanitation and landscaping, as well as widely available mobile payment for purchases, also enhance the city's attractiveness.

Experts said entertainment, such as the summit's breathtaking opening ceremony on West Lake, which combined music, dance and lighting effects, should be performed more often.