How to build a tent "poetry and faraway places"?

The beautiful picture of blue sky and blue sea, coconut grove and grass, mountains and streams attracts people to go out and enjoy leisure time. Every weekend, the seaside, countryside, scenic woodland and riverside become paradise, and camping enthusiasts come to nature to "set up camp" and have a close contact with nature.

The beautiful picture of blue sky and blue sea, coconut grove and grass, mountains and streams attracts people to go out and enjoy leisure time. Every weekend, the seaside, countryside, scenic woodland and riverside become paradise, and camping enthusiasts come to nature to "set up camp" and have a close contact with nature.

In recent years, with the diversification of travel methods, camping has increasingly become a new choice for people to get close to nature and enjoy a comfortable life, and many people use tents to build their own "poetry and faraway places". As a new type of tourism, camping is injecting new vitality into the recovering cultural tourism industry and becoming a new growth point for tourism consumption.

Camping tourism is hot "out of the circle"

Rapid innovation in the industry after localization in China

According to media reports, since the end of February this year, along with the national weather warming up, a number of campground orders are gradually "hot" up, the weekend are booked in advance, the campground owner said, "business is getting better day by day, get up day by day, the current most anxious is to recruit to the satisfaction of the camp director. "

Nankai University College of Tourism and Services Associate Professor Yu Haibo told reporters that camping first originated in human hunting, nomadic, migratory or military needs in outdoor activities and camping. 1908, the British Thomas Hiram Holding (Thomas Hiram Holding) wrote a "camper's handbook", is seen by many as the beginning of modern camping history, in 1993, the World Campervan Federation (FICC) was established, marking the beginning of camping tourism as a mature industry, which has undergone a transformation in form from initial tent camping to RV camping and then diversification, becoming an important leisure project for modern urban residents.

"Most of the campgrounds in Europe and America are located in forests, lakesides, seashores and grasslands with beautiful scenery." Yu Haibo said. Most camping enthusiasts drive there for campground vacations or parking breaks, and campgrounds will provide visitors with modest facilities and services. Along with the gradual development of camping tourism, camping tourism at home and abroad began to have professional operation and management agencies and perfect camping tourism service guarantee. Camping campsites are not only equipped with vehicle supply and parking infrastructure, but also provide comprehensive services such as outdoor equipment and supplies rental, accommodation, entertainment, shopping, sports, vacation, health and other integrated multi-functional services to meet people's travel needs of returning to nature, enjoying freedom, outdoor travel and self-driving to enjoy the scenery.

Zhao Pan, general manager of Lingfeng Outdoor Club, told reporters that they are a club engaged in sports related to the field of outdoor sports, which covers mountaineering, camping and other aspects of sports. "We started to get involved in camping tourism in 2019." Manager Zhao Pan said the most important thing about camping tourism is the location of the campsite, because many campers are fully equipped themselves, and the safety of the campsite is what they are most concerned about.

Every time they organize a camping tour, the club will check the qualifications of the campsite in advance and must give up on campsites that do not meet the safety requirements. To ensure the safety of campers, they also arrive at the campground a few days in advance to verify the safety of the actual location of the campground. If it's a commercial campground, they will also check if the facilities, such as water and electricity, are safe and available. In the case of camping in the mountains, they will also take into account the weather conditions in the days before and after camping to determine whether to choose a site here.

In addition, if the site is chosen in the wilderness, the club will also consider the local environment, such as whether some accidents will happen and whether it is close to the cliff. If it rains a lot in summer, they have to evaluate the road conditions around the campsite, because campers come to the campsite with all types of vehicles, and different vehicles have different abilities to adapt to different road conditions. In addition, they have to check if the camping location is infested with wildlife or if there are any abnormalities in the altitude and ambient temperature, etc. "The club will organize some activities in the campground. For example, some activities in hiking, parent-child games, sports and so on." Manager Zhao added.

It is understood that China's camping tourism is divided into park camping, countryside camping and camping expansion. Traditional nature camping, RV camping and supply point camping are closely related to ecotourism, recreation, outdoor sports, outdoor education, camp education and recreation around the city. "Camping tourism in China started to rise from the popularity of self-driving tours." Talking about the reasons, Yu Haibo explained that with the increase of private car ownership in China, self-driving is becoming more and more a mode of transportation for urban residents to travel, which is because of the strong autonomy of tourists' itinerary and time when traveling by self-drive, the convenience of carrying things, and also the ability to deeply appreciate the great rivers and mountains of the motherland along the way and flexibly adjust the travel destination. The popularity of self-driving tours naturally drives camping tourism, which in turn further drives the consumption of outdoor tents, picnic equipment, outdoor clothing, adventure supplies, outdoor power supplies, RV off-road vehicles and so on.

Nowadays, the way of camping tourism has further developed: urban camping, market camping, indoor camping, light luxury camping and other camping + new camping tourism are sought after by people. The "2021-2022 China Camping Economy Industry Status and Consumer Behavior Data Research Report" shows that in 2021, the core market size of camping in China reached 74.75 billion yuan, driving the market size of 381.23 billion yuan. The "2022-2023 China Camping Industry Research and Benchmarking Enterprise Analysis Report" shows that in 2022, the core market size of China's camping economy reached 113.47 billion yuan, up 51.8% year-on-year; the driven market size was 581.61 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth rate of 52.6%. It is expected that the core market size of China's camping economy will rise to 248.32 billion yuan in 2025, and the driven market size will reach 1,404.28 billion yuan.

The peak of camping tourism appeared after the epidemic, and it was accompanied by camping tourism plus innovative business model, which was gradually sought after by people. Yu Haibo analysis, the reason for this, there is a huge industry chain business opportunities. Before the epidemic, many big cities had camp accommodation businesses, while these camps usually emphasized outdoor activities, party socialization or content related to children's education. Some organizations have integrated light socializing, nature education, outdoor activities and ecological experiences to form a new industry. After localization in China, the campground industry has rapidly innovated to adapt to consumers from different angles, forming a new growth point for tourism consumption.

The market drives the development of multiple industry chains

Camping fever harbors the pursuit of healthy life

This year's camping tourism is different from last year's explosion, "this year's camping market has entered a state of rational consumption, which is a necessary stage in the development of the camping industry." Professor Yu told reporters that the current market situation is the normal state, go through the feverish overheated market irrational stage, the camping economy will be healthier. Camping is a stable endowment demand for ecological experience and outdoor recreation of the majority of urban residents, not only a tourism and leisure activities, but also a healthy lifestyle, not only economic benefits, but also good national health, ecological value, nature education, destination image and other comprehensive social benefits. Even if we only look at the economic effect, camping tourism brings comprehensive benefits to the destination, research and study, event sports, automotive industry, outdoor equipment, car appliances, design and creativity and other industry chains, not just the camping accommodation economy.

Camping tourism in 2022 can be said to be very hot, but also one of the most eye-catching leisure industry. Camping tourism should have three core: the first is the supplies and equipment; the second is the activity; the third is the campground. Yu Haibo said frankly: "It can be said that these three cores, sometimes superimposed, sometimes only with a prominent core competitiveness can also be unicorn growth." Like the outdoor industry, its market coverage of the population range is very large, so there are some companies that are specialized in the production and sales of outdoor products, such as Sanfu outdoor, Pathfinder, they started from focusing on outdoor products, early are listed companies. "From the perspective of outdoor supplies and equipment, I had the corresponding experience more than a decade ago, this camping if you want to play well, the desire for equipment is a bottomless pit." Yu Haibo said, camping equipment to spend how much money, the input is uncountable. After camping addiction, enthusiasts will match the RV, there are two types of RVs, one is self-propelled RV, which is a RV one-piece category; the other is a trailer-type RV, a room-type trailer, can be towed by a private car. And different types of RVs have their own advantages when used in different contexts. "In the market research, I found that some camping enthusiasts are modifying their own vehicles, some deliberately replacing 4WD off-road vehicles, some buying caravans, some buying trailer-type RVs, and many others buying more than one RV, and some enthusiasts are buying all kinds of equipment above."

"These are for our work to promote domestic demand injected consumption momentum. Camping outdoor supplies is also a very large consumption matrix." Yu Haibo continued, for example, travelers to buy tents, it will be found that shade tents and accommodation tents are completely different, applicable to different campsites and tents vary greatly, and in recent years the shape is also becoming more and more fashionable, so that people are tempted to buy and buy.

In recent years, outdoor mobile power in outdoor equipment is also favored by people, outdoor mobile power with all, if you drive a caravan to camp, not only can provide electricity for the appliances in the caravan, including small refrigerators, microwave ovens, electric kettles, etc., and after staying in the campground, campers use induction cooking, lighting, laundry and drying, mobile power have a use. So, camping it has a very good economic industry realizability, is a wide caliber to drive consumption.

Not only that, in addition to the outdoor supplies and tourism equipment industry, there are also activities segment is able to drive consumption. Professor Yu analysis, if we just go out camping, some people will feel is not interesting, so there are some specialized companies, will create some activities of camping products, enhance the fun of camping, build social relationships. For example, there are now many parent-child camping, and research camp activities, to the campground, there will be related training and interactive activities, or some parent-child party, there will be a unique fresh outdoor food experience.

Of course, Yu Haibo said, from the trend, the most normal campground will also be pro-nature, ecological and moderate service. To rely on the landscape and ecological resources, campground infrastructure, to provide outdoor supplies rental, campgrounds should be based on their own foundation and characteristics of holiday-type, activity-based or parking supply positioning, to provide differentiated products and services.

RV tourism + camping tourism

Integration of innovative consumer experience has become the "new favorite"

Under the background of normalization, RV camping tourism is favored by travelers with features of more privacy, safety, freedom and flexibility, etc. Carrying users to upgrade their needs, RV travel has become a new way of travel for camping tourism enthusiasts. Camping plus RV is a kind of linked RV industry, which is driven by the market and has become an industry booster. Professor Yu analysis, caravan plus camping and separate camping is not yet the same, caravan plus camping one is the need for beautiful scenery, the second is to achieve caravan resupply. This kind of resupply, the most basic is water and electricity resupply, there are generally some catering services and commercial facilities, from international experience, RV campground is actually a relatively mild light service business model, because it focuses on RV parking and resupply, sometimes the reception is not very large, generally under the norm, only one or two staff stationed in the campground. Therefore, the campground in the development process, to focus on the differences between two types, one is the ecological lifestyle generated by the caravan camping vacation campground, the other is based on the supply type, caravan plus camping journey parking supply campground, these two types are completely different. For caravan campsites, the development stage is not quite the same in China and abroad. China should move from the construction of vacation camps to the construction stage of RV campsites that take into account the supply type, because convenient supply type RV campsites can constantly promote RV consumption, promote the dual consumption market of RV enthusiasts and RV masses, and provide a boost to the scale development of China's RV industry.

RV camping is especially popular among elderly consumers abroad, and this consumption characteristic is also expected for our country. Because the proportion of China's elderly population is growing, in this trend, the RV industry can form a blue ocean of economies of scale, for RV-related consumption, we can also form some Chinese characteristics, such as the construction of RV-style hotels, especially in tourist cities like Hainan, Hainan has a lot of travelers, these people, there are some elderly people pay attention to health and safety, he does not drive himself, but still like some new products. But still like some new products, very like the innovative new consumption. This time we might as well go to open the mind, the caravan into a caravan hotel, let it stationed in some of the characteristics of the resort, consumers can have a novel accommodation options, called caravan accommodation. At that time, like camping experience, we can choose a kind of RV accommodation reception activities experience, experience the night to live in the RV, do not need to buy their own RV, you can watch the stars and fireflies, but also can get together with tourists, through the RV hotel-style social activities at night to hear the waves.

The camping industry, catalyzed by demand, needs to be improved

Space guidance, ecological safety education, information services and other construction multi-pronged approach

If the camping economy is still in the market cultivation period in previous years, then to further catalyze this market potential and make it enter a period of rapid development, it is more necessary to smooth out the camping economy industry chain and further regulate the development of the industry. From the camping site site development, management, to the consumer purchase of tents, gas tanks, carts, folding tables and chairs and other camping equipment manufacturing supervision, to camping-related food, housing, travel, tourism, entertainment and other ancillary facilities to improve the supply, should keep pace with the development of the industry.

Yu Haibo said, behind the hot camping tourism, there are also a variety of problems, such as some campsites exist supporting services and facilities are not sound, the lack of security, campground inquiries and in place guide information is not sufficient. And some campers have an adventurous mentality, pursuing risky trips to the wilderness, unfamiliar with common sense outdoor safety, and will encounter problems such as lawn fires, wild animal attacks, flood and mudflow threats, weather disasters, riverside driving and camping safety.

In the face of problems, how to respond? Yu Haibo suggests: first, space guidance; second, ecological education, outdoor safety and wilderness survival training; third, innovative camp information services. The camp has the characteristics of requiring a large area, relying on the outdoor environment and diversified ecological landscape, and is prone to problems in land use, environmental protection, construction and safety due to the difficulty of regulating tourists' behavior in operational settings. Article 1,198 of the Civil Code provides that the operator or manager of hotels, shopping malls, banks, stations, airports, stadiums, entertainment venues and other business premises, public places, or organizers of mass events, failing to meet their safety obligations, causing damage to others, shall bear tort liability. Camping direct policy documents, in 2018, China issued the "national youth outdoor sports activities camp construction norms", "primary and secondary school students study practice education base, camp construction and management norms", 2022 National Development and Reform Commission with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Central Civilization Office and other departments jointly issued the "opinions on promoting the healthy and orderly development of camping tourism and leisure", "Opinions" pointed out that Strengthen camping tourism standards to lead, bigger and stronger camping tourism and leisure upstream and downstream industry chain, to enhance the overall benefits of the whole industry chain. Guide camping campsite scale, chain operation, incubate high-quality camp brands, and cultivate leading enterprises. To deepen the supply-side structural reform as the main line, in line with the people's new demand for tourism and leisure consumption experience. Local policies and regulations, 2019 out of the "Guiyang City, primary and secondary school students to study and travel education base (camp) construction and service management measures (for trial implementation)", 2022, the introduction of "Shandong Province, the provincial primary and secondary school students to study base, camp management measures". Overall, Yu Haibo said, the current national government at all levels from top to bottom of the camping industry is the development of guidance-based policy to promote the management of standards and guidelines and other technical documents supply to provide professional services, with case alerts to provide safety management experience, are service-oriented management innovation, which is still in the initial development stage of the camping industry is very important.

In terms of campground development, Yu Haibo suggests that Tianjin can prepare a five-year work plan to promote the development of the camping industry, develop the campground industry chain, scientifically lay out the campground, enrich the campground industry, form key projects, promote campground innovation, and also develop a guide to the construction of campgrounds by type. In terms of campground management, Tianjin for all types of nature reserves, fire risk hidden areas and natural disaster prone areas, to designate areas where camping is prohibited. For the camping industry to establish a credit system for honest operation, to form warning education and theoretical analysis of camping safety risk cases, and to develop camping safety guidelines. Overall, the development of camping tourism in Tianjin should not only grasp the economic opportunities of the industry chain, but also focus on government services to continuously meet the growing needs of the people for a better life.

Source: Tianjin Daily