Jiangsu has reached a milestone in its efforts to boost agricultural tourism, according to industry experts.

The conclusion is linked to the inauguration of a countryside tour guide app called Lvzhang on Dec 11. The platform is the first of its kind to stimulate modern agriculture and the integration of leisure agriculture in the province.

Seeking to become a professional Internet platform for countryside tourism, the app provides complete information on farmhouse recreation, fruit pick-up, route guides and fresh produce.

"The gap between rural and urban areas frustrates most people. Farmers want a wider market to sell their agricultural products while urban consumers do not have enough channels for comprehensive knowledge of the countryside. That's why we want to develop a special app to narrow this gap," said by Zhang Mingfeng, head of Lvzhang's development team and an associate professor at Jiangsu Polytechnic College of Agriculture and Forestry.

Last year, a total of 86 million tourists contributed 26.5 billion yuan ($4.1 billion) to 5,100 tourist destinations related to agriculture, including the sites for farmhouse recreation. The huge demand encouraged Zhang and his team members to develop an app to improve tourism services in Jiangsu.

"Farmers are very pleased to join the Internet platform and they can get free registrations on the app. The app not only serves urban consumers but provides opportunities for farmers to raise their income," said Zhang.

He also disclosed his plan to include online payment into Lvzhang to accelerate the transformation of leisure agriculture in Jiangsu province.