City walk helps boost consumption in China

"City walk," which means walking freely through urban landscapes, has been all the rage this summer in China, allowing people to experience local culture and lifestyle while boosting consumption.

City walk is trending on China's social media and short-video platforms, where one can easily find relevant content. City walk lovers usually go on a tour in a relaxed and unhurried manner, meandering through landmarks, tourist attractions, restaurants and shops.

People visit the Qianmen street in Beijing, capital of China, July 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Zhu Xing, who works in Beijing, and his friends went on such a tour on a Saturday in August. Starting from the Beijing Lu Xun Museum, a museum themed on the renowned Chinese writer Lu Xun, they traveled to tourist attractions such as Miaoying Temple, also called Baita Temple, and then called it a day at the Guangji Temple.

Zhu bought a refrigerator magnet in a shop selling cultural and creative products in Miaoying Temple, a popular city walk choice this summer, mailed some postcards to friends outside Beijing, bought coffee at the Beijing Lu Xun Museum, and had lunch at a restaurant along the way. The group spent an average of over 200 yuan ($27.50) per person. "It is said city walk gives you pleasure without costing you money. But in my case, I'm willing to pay when I find something attractive along the way," Zhu said.

Compared to traditional tourism, consumption during city walks is more free and casual, with more choices. One can stop by some coffee shops and snack stores along the way.

As the popularity of city walk has kept growing, the bureaus of culture and tourism of many places of the country, such as Beijing, Jinan in east China's Shandong Province, and northwest China's Shaanxi Province have introduced some routes for city walk, with many being free of charge.

Tourism service providers have rolled out many related tourism products. Priced at from less than 100 yuan to less than 1,000 yuan, a city walk tour group usually consists of less than 20 tourists.

City walk routes with the theme of exhibitions and historical and cultural architecture, for instance, always include professional guides to provide high-quality explanation. Unlike walking the city alone, traveling in groups offers an opportunity of socializing with people. And like-minded people may team up for the next tour.

Some city walk service providers have launched extra services such as photography and in-depth explanations of tourist attractions, which also gained favor among consumers.

Some experts suggested continuously innovating city walk to meet the diverse needs of consumers, so that city walk can truly become a force for greater consumption, rather than just a fleeting trend.

City walk can be seen as a social activity during which tourists explore and spread urban culture. Basic services should be provided to help them enjoy the beauty of the cities. Cities need to make efforts to boost the recovery of consumer market and growth of cultural tourism through city walk, said Lu Fengping, an associate professor at the Nanjing Institute of Tourism and Hospitality.