Low-altitude tourism becomes a key driver to boost consumption

Low-altitude tourism has become a key driver to boost consumption, according to an action plan to boost consumption as reported by ThePaper on Monday.

To "accelerate the improvement of the low-altitude economic supervision system, and orderly develop low-altitude tourism, aviation sports, consumer drones and other low-altitude consumption," is clearly proposed in the action plan released by Xinhua on Sunday.

As an emerging sector, low-altitude consumption not only injects new vitality into the low-altitude economy, driving the upgrades and innovation of related industry chains, but also brings new growth points to the consumer market," said Tan Chaochen, executive vice-president and secretary-general of the Shenzhen Aviation Association.

The expansion of consumption scenarios such as low-altitude tourism and aviation sports will promote the development and utilization of low-altitude resources, fostering the extension and improvement of the low-altitude industry chain.

Moreover, low altitude consumption holds vast market potential for the future, with products like low-altitude sightseeing and hot air balloon travel becoming new highlights in the tourism market.

"Last year, the low-altitude industry focused on technological innovation, while this year it is emphasizing industrialization." Tan said, adding that 'low altitude + cultural tourism' projects will enter the market first and intensively.

Tan further suggested that in the future, the government may introduce more refined policies related to low-altitude consumption, such as streamlining the approval process for low-altitude flights, to provide institutional support for industry development.

The policies can significantly enhance the market potential in the low-altitude sector, sparking a craze for low-altitude flights, becoming a new 'growth point,' which is greatly beneficial for boosting the economy and promoting high-quality employment, said Sun Liye, vice-president of the United Aircraft Group, a drone company, in an interview with The Paper.

It can also propel the rapid rise of the entire low-altitude economic chain, with infrastructure, drone research and development, manufacturing, drone operation services, and market applications all experiencing explosive growth, Sun said.

In the next two years, our company will prepare in various tourism attractions, accumulating sufficient safety operation data, transitioning to the scenario of aerial taxis, said Wang Zhao, chief operating officer of EHang, during a recent annual report conference call.

EHang will focus on "low-altitude + tourism" this year, with air transportation as the target for scale, gradually expanding the layout of urban air transportation operation points.

If 2024 was the year of low-altitude planning, then 2025 will be the year of low-altitude implementation, said Hu Huazhi, founder, chairman, and CEO of EHang, during a conference call.

The primary goal for EHang this year is to lead the way in creating exemplary demonstration projects for landing operations in key cities, enabling ordinary people to truly experience eVTOL flight services, Hu said.

In addition to mentioning consumer-grade drones, the action plan also addresses various measures to promote increased income for farmers.

China's agricultural drones were in the market adaption period from 2016 to 2018, grew rapidly from 2019 to 2022 and have entered a relatively stable stage since 2023, said Nie Hongyuan, head of DJI Agriculture's agricultural related sector.