Quzhou records a total of 74.54 million visits by tourists from home and abroad in 2018. [Photo/qz96811.com]

Quzhou's tourism market saw a staggering increase in both revenue and number of visitors over the past year, statistics from local authority showed.

The city in Zhejiang province recorded a total of 74.54 million visits by tourists from home and abroad and grossed tourism revenue of 53.18 billion yuan ($7.71 billion) in 2018, growths of 15 percent and 18.43 percent respectively over the figures of 2017, according to the Quzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism.

The remarkable performance can be attributed to the main events in the Quzhou tourism industry last year.

Quzhou promoted itself in Chinese major cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, after settling on the Home of Southern Confucianism and a Model City of Virtue as its brand and releasing its mascot Happy Deer and cartoon image Grandpa Nankong.

The city invested more than 15 billion in tourism projects, an uptick of 44 percent year-on-year and 21 now under construction are worth a total of more than 1 billion yuan.

Six homestays in the city were identified as provincial boutique family inns by the Zhejiang Homestay Rating Management Committee.

In early 2018 Quzhou launched "Free to Tour Quzhou Attractions for Overseas Tourists" to attract more visitors around the world, and has since welcomed 4.23 million foreigners.

The stone-made Ershi Yisu is one of six homestays in Quzhou identified as provincial boutique family inns. [Photo/qz96811.com]