A tourism advert promoting Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, airs on a large screen overlooking New York's Times Square, on Aug 27. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

A tourism advert promoting the Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, recently has been featured on one of the large screens overlooking New York's world famous Times Square. 

With the slogan of "tourism improves the world and life", the advert showcases an aerial view of Xianghu, a scenic area in Hangzhou known for its picturesque scenery and age-old history.

The advert has been in the works since the end of last year and is Hangzhou's attempt to promote its tourism brand to the world and boost the city's influence in the international tourism industry, said a local official from the Tourism Bureau of Xiaoshan.

Over the years, Xianghu, the "Mother Lake" of Xiaoshan district, has developed into a name card for the cultural and tourism industries of Xiaoshan marked by the establishment of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) headquarters last December, which serves as an important milestone in the development of the district.

In September, the signature event of WTA "Xianghu Dialogue 2018" will also be held in the district, another important step for Xianghu to become a world-class tourism destination.

Roughly 300 heads of authoritative organizations and renowned experts in relevant industries will gather to share insights on the current trend of sustainable development, and the social responsibilities of the world tourism industry.

Headquartered in Hangzhou, the WTA is the first global, non-governmental and non-profit organization dedicating to promoting tourism for peace, development and poverty reduction. It has 89 founding members, primarily comprised of national tourism associations, tourism companies, and think tanks from 29 countries and regions.

The design sketch of the headquarters of the World Tourism Alliance, which is located near the Xianghu Lake, Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]