Vibrant day, radiant night: Rural tourism rocks

However, as the resort is located more than 2,300 meters above sea level, it can experience drastic temperature fluctuations between day and night, and thus relies heavily on electricity for accommodation and kitchen facilities, Yao said. "Monthly electricity usage can reach over 13,000 kilowatt-hours during peak times."

Linxia has therefore formulated a special inspection plan tailored to the electricity usage of the resort, including high-temperature load forecasting and safe operation strategies. It has also increased the frequency of inspections for power cables and equipment, and utilized advanced technical tools to monitor and record the condition of both indoor and outdoor electrical operations, said State Grid Linxia Power Supply Co.

According to a rural tourism development index report released by the culture and tourism bureau of Gansu, the province's rural tourism market experienced comprehensive growth last year, with 152.61 million trips throughout the year, up 71 percent year-on-year. Total revenue from rural tourism reached 48.19 billion yuan ($6.67 billion), up 81.54 percent year-on-year.

The 2024 China Rural Tourism Development White Paper by industrial research company Fastdata said that the rural tourism sector emerged as a front-runner for the domestic tourism market, attracting about 800 million visits in the first quarter. The sector also generated an output value of over 900 billion yuan and created over 60 million jobs last year, it said.

However, the development of rural tourism cannot be separated from efforts to advance infrastructure and support services in rural areas, where travel facilities, tourist services as well as management and operation capabilities may lag behind those in urban areas, the report said.

Targeting the gap, a guideline jointly issued by the country's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and eight other departments last month focuses on the improvement of tourism public services and the capacity to provide tourism-related public services in weak areas, during peak hours and for groups with special needs, to ensure the system is compatible with the high-quality development of the tourism sector.

"In certain regions, particularly economically underdeveloped areas, tourism-related public infrastructure still lags behind. The functionality of services remains incomplete, and the level of development does not match the rapid growth of our tourism market," said a spokesman from the ministry in an earlier news conference.

"In this regard, filling the gaps and weaknesses in public tourism services, improving supporting services, further enhancing service quality and creating a favorable tourism environment are a crucial task before us," he said.

The next three to five years will see China establish an efficient tourism public service system featuring a complete structure, sound standards, smooth operation and high quality, according to the guideline.

"China has fully entered the era of 'mass tourism', characterized by the distinct trend of individual travel preference. The issuance of the guideline aligns with the developmental characteristics of the country's current tourism industry," said Li Yunpeng, a professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business.

Li said the guideline is conducive to building a systematic and comprehensive public tourism service system at the national level, which will greatly enhance the travel experience for tourists.