A woman promotes traditional Chinese Hanfu clothing via livestreaming at a Hanfu base in Caoxian County, east China's Shandong Province, July 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)
BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- County tourism made a splash in China's domestic travel market during the past May Day holiday.
Zhengding County in north China's Hebei Province, for example, saw tourists pour in everyday during the holiday. Data from China's online travel agency (OTA) Ctrip shows that Zhengding travel orders witnessed a year-on-year increase of 90 percent while relevant hotel booking rocketed 105 percent during the holiday compared with that of last year.
Data by domestic OTAs shows that travel bookings for county-level markets outpaced the national average growth rate during this year's May Day holiday. Specifically, the y-o-y growth rate of travel orders of first- and second-tier cities was lower than that of third- and fourth-tier cities, which was then lower than county-level tourism.
"Small counties overtaking big cities" has turned out to be a new highlight of China's tourism market, industry observers say.
But why has county tourism gained its popularity?
--Uniqueness stands out
Zhengding is just one of the many county-level destinations increasingly favored by tourists, as exploring authentic local culture in lower-tier markets made waves in China.
Industry experts attributed the trending partly to a turn of focus to uniqueness that can showcase taste and individuality. Travel products nowadays are more likely advertised as "hidden treasure"or "low-profile", for example, to hint a journey of unique discovery, experts note.
Chinese counties indeed have much to offer in the racetrack of uniqueness.
This aerial photo taken on March 30, 2023 shows Ma Qinghai, a villager of Shangtan Village, rowing a bamboo raft in Ziyang Town of Wuyuan County, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)
Known to many as "China's most beautiful countryside," Wuyuan County of east China's Jiangxi Province amazes many with its well-preserved ecology and biodiversity. Home to 95 rare animals under national-level protection, it also rises to become a sought-after place for nature and science education.
Earned the title "the center of Hanfu" with unparalleled Hanfu industry amid a fashion craze for the traditional Chinese attire, Caoxian County in east China's Shandong Province could place visitors in a kingdom of Mamianqun, a traditional long pleated skirt literally translated as horse-face skirt.
With Miao people accounting for 84.2 percent of the total population, Leishan County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, could bathe tourists in rich ethnic culture with costumes, songs and dances as well festive celebrations.
The list could go on and on.
--A sense of relaxation gives a push
But uniqueness seems not to be the whole story. For those hold travel is a must, "Life is Elsewhere" somehow sets the tone, yet some enjoy a feeling of always being on the road, more and more prefer a laid-back style and just chill out in somewhere that could make them feel at ease.
In this regard, small counties which have a compact scale but still "have it all" hit the spot right on.
Anji County in east China's Zhejiang, for example, is known for its nature-wise bamboo forests, canyons, gardens and waterfalls. In the meantime, for those who come from "modern" cities and lifestyles, the county also boasts more than 300 cafes, offering a perfect blend of gentle green breezes with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Pingtan County, the biggest of the islands off the coast of east China's Fujian Province, on one hand wows visitors with stunning glowing waves dubbed as "tear of the ocean". Caused by bioluminescence, this phenomenon draws many viewers, especially from April to June. On the other hand, its traditional stone houses, the beaches, and hospitable locals add more features and confidence to a pleasant stay.
--Affordability cuts the deal
With a slower pace and more affordable consumption, county tourism is tagged "high cost performance" or "value for money". Data show that during the holiday average per night price of county hotels is merely half of that in first- or second-tier tourism cities.
In addition, research by China Tourism Academy shows that the number of rural tourists has now risen to account for 16.9 percent of domestic tourists, indicating structural changes on the demand side of tourism market that more likely favors affordability.
More and more counties have come to realize and given better play to their own "small and beautiful" advantages. Ctrip has witnessed an increase of nearly 1,000 county scenic spots on the platform since the beginning of this year.
Here comes a new epoch of mass tourism with emerging lower-tier markets and upgrading demand, Dai Bin, head of China Tourism Academy noted.
On the other hand, a research report on high-quality development of China's county tourism indicates that in 2022, 79 tourism counties each had a total tourism revenue of over 10 billion yuan and received more than 10 million tourists, while 65.86 percent of the counties covered by the research only saw a revenue less than 3 billion yuan.
China has over 2,800 county-level administrative regions, harboring myriad possibilities for county-level tourism. (Edited by Niu Huizhe with Xinhua Silk Road, niuhuizhe@xinhua.org)
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