Homing in on the great outdoors
As the climate heats up, tourists search for the ultimate holiday or retirement locations. Establishing sites for 'mobile' accommodation is a priority in many areas, Wu Yanbo and Hu Dongmei report in Guyuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region.
Integrated facilities
From June 2022 to September 2023, Zha and his wife stayed in one of the cave campsites for 16 months and spent Spring Festival there. "It's warm in the winter, too. We experienced over 20 heavy snowfalls in the mountain village and it was cozy to sit in the cave eating hot pot and watching the snow. This year, we decided to lease the cave campsite for five more years."
Zhao says, starting this year, the site is offering relatively independent RV campsites for five years, 250 sq m for 2,000 yuan per year or 350 sq m for 3,000 yuan, allowing guests to build their own "summer courtyard". Currently, 15 independent campsites are leased and four more have been built.
In 2017, over 70 households in Xinhe village were mobilized to invest in and establish a tourism company. In addition to the government's investment of over 10 million yuan, the tourism company also invested over 10 million yuan.
Zhao says: "Developing rural tourism requires high investment but has slow returns, even though the campsite is almost fully booked in the summer. In the future, an additional investment of about 20 million yuan is needed to build facilities like eco-restaurants along the mountain roads to meet the dining and accommodation requirements of tourists."
Zha believes that the RV campsite has already played a role in attracting more tourists. Located between the major cities of Xi'an in Shaanxi province, Lanzhou in Gansu province, and Yinchuan in Ningxia, the area benefits from convenient transportation. These large cities have a significant market demand from retired individuals seeking summer retreats. The unique climate and natural conditions provide substantial space for development and market potential in summer leisure tourism.
