Bid to lure tourists to Hangzhou

SHANGHAI: Coupons worth almost 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) in discounts are to be doled out to tourists in the scenic city of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, to boost visitor numbers during the financial crisis.

The vouchers will be targeted at people living in the Yangtze Delta region and Shanghai, according to the Hangzhou tourism committee.

Visitors will be able to use the coupons to pay entrance fees to the city's most popular scenic sights, as well as buy tickets for entertainment events or food, the tourism committee said.