Eighteen cities along the Grand Canal have jointly established a tourism promotion alliance in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, to better promote the canal to the world.

The alliance, established on June 24, wants to create a world-class boutique tourism route along the canal to attract tourists from around the world.

A cruise liner that connects several cities along the canal will be introduced.

Li Hong, chief of the Hangzhou Tourism Commission, said the alliance's goal is to integrate the resources of the 18 cities along the canal to better present its charm.

"With a total length of more than 1,000 kilometers, the canal should be presented to tourists as a whole," Li said.

Apart from the cruise liner, the alliance also plans a series of promotions, including the publication of a picture album, creation of a set of canal dishes, filming a promotional movie and creating a tourism festival.

These projects are expected to be done within three to five years.