As people can't make long-distance trips due to Covid controls, picnics and camping in parks have become more popular since the Labor Day holidays. Searches for “camping” hit a record high on online travel platform Ctrip on the first day of the Labor Day holiday, up 90% week-on-week. Bookings for camping trips placed on online travel platform Fliggy recorded a month-on-month surge of more than 350% during the five-day break. According to market research company iiMedia Research, the market size of China’s camping sector jumped 78% year-on-year to CNY29.9 billion in 2021. The figure is estimated to hit CNY35.46 billion this year. Wu Ruoshan, Researcher with the Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said that due to Covid-19 uncertainties and restrictions, in-depth, quality tours of local attractions became the mainstream during the Labor Day holiday. There was a notable trend of big city dwellers traveling to nearby suburbs and villages. Another reason behind the camping craze is that widely used social media platforms such as Tik-Tok and Xiaohongshu have driven up the popularity of campsites, Shen Aixiang, Founder and CEO of homestay management solutions provider Smart Order said.
The camping boom has fueled the growth of related industries. Figures from corporate information provider Tianyancha show that the number of camping-related companies in China has grown rapidly over the past five years. More than 9,100 new ones registered in 2020 and over 20,000 registered in 2021. Since January 1, more than 7,000 camping-related companies have been set up. Online travel agencies have launched campaigns and products to tap into the potential bonanza. Ctrip released rankings of campsites based on indicators such as facilities, safety and the density of tents. Mafengwo hosted a livestream competition among campers that gave out awards based on the performance of their livestream sessions. Tuniu introduced short-haul camping trips such as a two-day camping getaway to the Huanghuacheng Lakeside Great Wall Reserve in Beijing’s Huairou district.
But the camping boom also comes with problems such as environmental pollution, safety hazards and increased pressure on camping businesses. “The concept of ‘traceless camping’ has yet to be popularized,” Shen Wei, a seasoned outdoor enthusiast from Chengdu, said. “This concept requires campers to make plans in advance, choose a campground that is strong enough for camping activities, properly dispose of trash, and minimize their effect on the environment. Many campers like to cook food on an open fire, which could pose a fire hazard. Camping-related businesses are also facing problems, such as fast-changing consumer demands and the rising cost of raw materials for making tents, the China Daily reports.
As in several cities parts of the metro and bus network have been shut down, sales of bicycles have also soared. In one shop in the South of Beijing, sales increased by 30%.
