How has COVID-19 changed domestic tourism in China?

China is in the period of booming rural tourism model when city people want to escape the hustle and bustle of urban centers to their villages, farms and orchards to enjoy. idyllic life.

More and more Chinese tourists are visiting the farms and enjoying the fresh produce. Tourists pick persimmons at an orchard in Shufeng village, eastern China. Photo: CNN According to CNN, China is one of the largest domestic tourism markets in the world. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism estimates that over 4 billion trips will be made across China by 2021, with a market value exceeding $500 billion. Given that an outbound tourism model is not viable due to pandemic restrictions, the need for an alternative domestic option is not surprising – especially since China is the home. of 55 World Heritage Sites recognized by UNESCO. However, not only looking to the historical and natural wonders in the country, people now look to a different atmosphere when returning to the peaceful countryside. In posts posted on the social network Weibo, an account named Ancailie said that after a day of picking strawberries, planting rice and eating food raised by her own hands, she felt “much happier”. Another user, laozhenyiwen, described how his family caught fish and ate seafood during the last Labor Day holiday as an enjoyable experience and “avoiding the crowds”. China-owned Trip.com, one of the world’s largest online travel agencies, said that in March 2021, rural trips in China increased by more than 300% compared to same period last year. People in China’s big cities are tired of urban life and are looking for something healthier. Tourists are painting nature at Xiaolingnan, Anhui province. Photo: CNN This trend has become so popular that Trip.com is planning a “five-year action” to promote rural tourism, including linking up with 10,000 professional travel agents to focus on developing the field. and invested 1 billion yuan (US$150 million). Zhou Mingqi, founder and general manager of Shanghai Tour Guide Enterprise Management Consulting, said Chinese people are getting tired of not having many entertainment spaces and unique experiences in the country’s big cities. “They need a different life experience, a peaceful weekend away,” he explains. Wang Shang works for a Beijing-based company that helps coordinate tours and activities in the countryside. She says that on one of the tours she runs, visitors can experience fruit growing, participate in an agricultural development model, and learn about the traditional crafts and customs of the region. . “Most of the tourists who join these tours are kindergarten or primary school students with their parents,” Wang said. Some rural retreats can be reasonably minimalist, with activities as simple as strawberry picking, visiting a folk museum or attending local musicals. In Wang’s opinion, there are two main reasons why people are enthusiastic about vacationing in the countryside. It is a quiet space to be alone and experience a healthy lifestyle. One of the resorts Wang affiliated with in Shandong province opened in May 2020 – right after the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic passed in China – quickly being booked by tourists. “The population density in rural areas is very low. The control and prevention measures are also very good,” explained Wang. People like to experience life with nature. Photo: CNN Besides, living in a country that is full of scandals related to food contamination, tourists feel safer and healthier when they grow clean foods themselves. The trend of “going home to rest” is also strongly promoted by influential figures on the Internet, such as Ly Tu That. Videos of this girl living in the countryside, cooking dishes from home-grown ingredients by herself on the peaceful background of music have attracted tens of millions of views. Wang said she believes rural tourism is just getting started and that in the future, tours will focus more on China’s myriad local cultures. “Looking at agricultural and rural development policies in recent years, I think that rural areas have a lot of potential. I think in the future there will be more tourism products with content based on local culture, that is, tours with cultural depth,” Wang said.