Haimen, Nantong signed 10 culture and tourism project deals worth nearly 16 billion yuan ($2.32 billion) in total on May 28, the opening day of the 2020 China Haimen Trade and Investment Fair.

In recent years, the county-level city has been making efforts to turn tourism into a major driver of economic development. The local government has drafted a comprehensive development plan for "all-in-one" tourism.

The city is currently home to two national 4A-level scenic areas - Zhang Jian Cultural Tourist Site and Dearshiqiao International Home Textiles Museum, one national 3A-level scenic area – Yudong ancient town, one national-level village for rural tourism – Yisheng village, as well as 13 provincial-level rural resorts and 11 culture industrial parks at the municipal level and above.

The city received 5.09 million tourists in 2019, up 11.06 percent year on year. Its tourism revenue was valued at 4.72 billion yuan, up 11.18 percent year on year.

According to Guo Xiaomin, mayor of Haimen, the city aims to build itself into a comprehensive tourist destination in the Yangtze River Delta combining sightseeing, entertainment and vacationing.

It will make full use of existing resources to develop high-end and tailored travel routes to meet diverse needs. A "smart traveling" platform will be introduced, allowing tourists to acquire useful travel information on their phones.

On the same day, Haimen also signed agreements with Taicang, a county-level city in Suzhou, and Jiangyin, a county-level city in Wuxi, to promote cooperation in cultural production, performances, research, and protection of cultural relics.