Organizers discuss the highlights of the upcoming 2019 International Islands Tourism Conference at a press conference on Aug 13. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The 2019 International Islands Tourism Conference – which will be held in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province on Aug 28-30 – is expected to provide a lift to the sector, according to a press conference held by local authorities on Aug 13.

The upcoming conference, with its catchy theme "New Islands, New Scenarios, New Momentum", will have a lot of highlights, organizers said.

During the conference, there will be a variety of activities, including regulars such as the forum for countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and an exhibition about island tourism. Two additional forums about island tourism as well as a new communications banquet will be held, compared with previous conferences.

In addition, this year's conference has invited more leading companies from the cultural tourism industry, in order to drive the development of Zhejiang's island tourism industry with their help, organizers said.

The conference is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the provincial government of Zhejiang. It will focus on the development of a comprehensive industrial chain island tourism, deepening cooperation between BRI countries and ways to promote the optimization of the industrial structure and boost the domestic island tourism industry.

Initiated in 2015, the conference has garnered plenty of attention and popularity over the past few years and experts say it has become a crucial communications platform that can boost the island tourism industry.

Two reports on the present state and the development of the global island tourism industry will be issued at the conference.