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% compared to the same period last year, while the search for diverse forms of camping has increased by 230%.

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 (US$1.33 million).

“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. (Xinhua)