Chinese urbanites flock to nature as "camping economy" booms

TIANJIN, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Reclining in folding chairs or on picnic blankets, groups of people await the next round of barbecued delicacies outside their tents and log cabins, which form a dainty line along the lake shore.

Such is the scene this summer in a country park in north China's Tianjin Municipality, where urbanites spend their weekends, soaking up the natural vibe far from the stresses of city life.

It seems that Chinese people's enthusiasm for camping is as strong as ever. The camping site in the country park of Tianjin's Xiqing District is now an ideal place for the residents to spend their leisure time, with plentiful entertainment options ranging from concerts to water recreation activities.

"We live a fast-paced life on workdays. The park is about a half-hour drive from my home, so it is superb to enjoy family camping at the weekends here," said a local resident surnamed Wang.

The park receives an average of 5,000 visitors on weekends, said Liu Wei, executive of the country park. "Besides the camping island, people often pitch their own tents in the open area at weekends, forming a real kaleidoscope of colors," Liu added.

The weekend campers can also make use of a special park just for recreational vehicles (RVs) in Zhongbei Township, Xiqing District.

The park has more than 100 parking spots, which always occupied by the camping enthusiasts, as well as a wide variety of other activities. There is music square resonating with beautiful folk songs, a long street full of stalls selling delectable food and handicraft, and regular fairs making use of vehicle trunks to display products.

"Urban camping is the new fashion. Our camping site has a daily turnover of more than 2,000 yuan (about 280 U.S. dollars) on weekdays. It's higher during weekends, at over 7,000 yuan," said Chen Bin, executive of the RV camping park.

In recent years, thanks to policy support, camping economy has developed rapidly, reflecting the progress of the country's urban and suburban park construction.

Liang Feng, associate professor of the Business School at Nankai University, said that, especially in the post-COVID era, the public are more willing to make short-distance trips, with a short time period and higher frequency. Camping tourism has become one of their top choices.

According to the latest data from Mafengwo, a travel service and social networking platform, since March, the search volume of camping has increased by 115 percent compared to the same period last year, while the search for diverse forms of camping has increased by 230 percent.

Besides, more and more camping festivals and carnivals have sprung up across China this summer, with obvious local characteristics.

In Tianjin, Xiqing District rolled out its first camping carnival, integrating camping with music, intangible cultural heritage, sports and unique fairs. The event, held from April 22 to June 30, attracted about 325,000 people, helping rake in about 9.54 million yuan.

"With its advantages of outdoor leisure and short-distance travel, camping, as a green and healthy form of consumption, has rapidly gained a foothold in China's tourism market and become a new growth point for tourism consumption in recent years," said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy.

According to iiMedia Research, a research firm, the core market of China's camping sector will reach 248.32 billion yuan and the overall camping-related market scale will hit 1.44 trillion yuan by 2025.

The public is now demanding more in terms of camping equipment, environment, safety and so on, which in turn "push camping service providers to upgrade their outdoor environment, ensure customers' safety and provide personalized and professional services for visitors," according to Dai.