With privacy and security, RV self-driving has become the new focus of the tourism industry
RV tours are increasingly popular
The Haituo Valley RV Camp in Yanqing, Beijing is one of the largest RV parks in Asia.
Photo by our reporter Wu Fan
Affected by the epidemic, the domestic tourism market is not prosperous this year, but orders for RV tours have increased significantly year-on-year.
According to industry insiders, there are still shortcomings in the industry, and the improvement of RV camps is the basis for the promotion of RV tours.
During the day, wander in nature and watch the flowing water of small bridges; at night, camp by the river and listen to the sound of insects and frogs... In early August, by participating in the "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei-Shanxi RV Parade and Cultural Tourism Precision Poverty Alleviation Activity" opportunity Chen Jianshe, vice chairman of the Provincial RV Association, started the first RV self-driving tour since the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
"Watching the sunrise, watching the sunset, listening to the sound of the forest, watching the ebb and flow of the tide", recalling this trip, Chen Jianjian's intention was still unfinished.
Affected by the epidemic, the domestic tourism market is not prosperous this year. However, according to data from an online travel service platform, since July, RV bookings have increased by more than 120% year-on-year, and this is one of the few tourism sectors that can significantly exceed last year. .
A number of car rental platforms also said that in the past two months, RV rental orders have increased significantly.
As an emerging form of self-driving travel, RV travel has become the new focus of the tourism industry under the epidemic due to its privacy and safety.
Enjoy being alone with nature
"On the Wulan Butong Mountain in Inner Mongolia, it rained heavily in the evening. After the rain stopped at ninety o'clock in the evening, the sky showed a red moon, which was very beautiful." Jin Hui is a network information security officer who also works in Tianjin. Member of the RV Camping Association.
Because he does not want to be constrained by the accommodation environment, Jin Hui likes to travel with his family in an RV.
An RV trip in Inner Mongolia last fall has a deep memory for him.
"We parked the car by the Wusulangzi Lake in Aershan. When we opened the window in the morning, we could see the egrets searching for food. The lake surface was slightly foggy, and occasionally small fish jumped out of the water." What impressed Jin Hui most was along the way. Beautiful scenery.
In his opinion, the biggest advantage of the RV tour is to find a place you like to stop under the premise of ensuring safety. When you wake up in the morning, the beauty of nature will come into view.
"I really enjoy the feeling of being quiet and alone with nature." Jin Hui said.
The highways in the Gobi area of Xinjiang, the banks of Lake Baikal in Russia...In Chen Jianshe's memory, there are not only beautiful scenery, but also a group of simple and hospitable strangers on the way to the RV self-driving tour.
While driving, Chen Jianshe had to stop to watch and send blessings when someone met someone who had been married and had a birthday.
People who didn't know each other in the area took him to taste delicious food and visit scenic spots, so everyone became friends and became friends.
"You can stay in your favorite place for a few days, or you can check in and leave in one place, without restriction, and you don't need to hurry." Chen Jianjian believes that this is the unique advantage of RV tourism.
When traveling, where to park the RV is the first issue that the car owner must consider.
Although many people, like Jin Hui, prefer to find a place with beautiful scenery to stop, the reporter learned that at this stage, most of the RV self-driving tours are still parked in special camping sites.
According to industry insiders, RV campsites involve vehicle parking and travel supplies. The improvement of campsites is the basis for RV tourism promotion.
"From the perspective of the natural environment, mature RV campsites must be surrounded by lakes, seas, rivers, grasslands, woodlands, humanities and history, ancient capitals, and ancient villages. From the perspective of supporting facilities, the campsite must also have convenient transportation and full coverage of mobile network signals. At the same time, fire safety, lighting, sanitation, water and electricity supply, toilets and bathing, waste disposal, etc. must meet the requirements of national standards and industry standards." Dong Ruijiang, president of Shanxi Province Motorhome Association, introduced to reporters.
The service capacity of the RV camp is not enough
"According to data, as of the end of 2019, the proportion of self-driving trips nationwide reached 64%, of which self-driving cars also accounted for a certain proportion." Dong Ruijiang said.
As a new way of traveling, RV self-driving tours have also revealed some problems.
Wang Xingbin, a senior researcher at the Institute of Chinese Culture and Tourism Industry of Beijing International Studies University, said that RV tourism in my country is still in its infancy. The development of RV tourism."
According to incomplete statistics, as of the end of 2019, the total number of RV campsites in China was 1,778, including 1,565 campsites built and 213 campsites under construction, with the largest number of campsites in East China and North China.
Dong Ruijiang believes that taking Shanxi Province as an example, there are still problems such as insufficient number of RV campsites, uneven distribution, and high fees.
"Domestic RV campsites generally charge higher fees. An RV that enters the camp consumes water and electricity. The cost of five to six hundred yuan per night is unreasonable and the management level cannot keep up." Jin Hui said.
The reporter saw on an online travel service platform that the price of a 3-day 2-night RV self-driving tour in Gubei Water Town, Beijing is 2,499 yuan, which does not include tolls, fuel costs, etc. incurred during the use of the RV. And some attractions tickets are also paid by tourists.
Dong Ruijiang pointed out that the sections of some national highways and provincial highways are not smooth, and the 3.5-meter height limit also affects the passage of RVs to a large extent.
In addition, some RV users have uncivilized behaviors such as littering and discharging domestic sewage everywhere.
expand influence
“The epidemic has caused severe damage to the cultural and tourism industry. As the situation improves, people have been holding back for more than half a year of travel enthusiasm. Renting a motorhome is the best way to actively adapt to the current normalization of epidemic prevention and control and orderly promote the recovery of the cultural and tourism industry. "In Dong Ruijiang's view, RV tours avoid public transportation and hotel accommodation, relatively reduce contact with strangers, and reduce the risk of infection.
Wang Xingbin believes that in the long run, domestic self-driving camps do not necessarily have to be large in scale, but they must have complete functions and characteristics, so that they can form a linkage effect with scenic spots and small towns.
The reporter learned that in order to further expand the influence and popularity of RV camping, Shanxi RV Association has hosted China (Shanxi) International RV Camping Expo, China Self-driving RV Camping Conference and other activities for many years, which has promoted the province’s RV tours, self-driving tours, and camping. The development of the market.
In addition, in the context of the current nationwide poverty alleviation work, Shanxi RV Association combines poverty alleviation work with RV travel.
For example, in the "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei-Shanxi RV Parade and Cultural Tourism Targeted Poverty Alleviation Activities", a special tourist route for poverty alleviation and relocation to the new villages with good environment and characteristics is specially formulated. RV tourists can purchase local agricultural and sideline products as needed to increase the income of the villagers.
"With the gradual improvement of infrastructure and service facilities along the transportation line, and the increasingly reasonable design and price of RVs, more and more people will choose RVs for travel in the future." Jin Hui hopes that after retirement, he can meet three or five friends and drive the RV. A place with a good environment, to enjoy the beauty of nature, "It is a different kind of old life for everyone to play together and take care of each other on the way."