BEIJING, May 5 (Zhongxin.com) -- "Chongli has taken off the hat of a poor county by relying on the skiing economy, which is a process of creating something from scratch. Looking back at Chongli's development over the past two decades, says Fabio Ries, former president of Dolemidi Mountain Sports Resort and Italy.
Fabio studied ancient Chinese history at university, and after graduation, he traveled in a foreign land with his love of Chinese landscape and nature. In the process of traveling south and north, he came from a ski resort with the idea of building a ski resort in China.
In 2005, Fabio went to Chongli. The geographical and climatic conditions suitable for snow development, the intermingling border plugs and farming cultures, and the ruins of the Great Wall that tell the story of the beacon years make this land stand out among many "candidates". "Most importantly, it's close to Beijing and close to source markets." He immediately decided that it was Chongli.
In Fabio's view, Chongli at that time was still a blank piece of paper: poor infrastructure and relatively closed information exchange. Locals have only a vague understanding of skiing, let alone how to transform skiing from a sport to a lucrative industry.
"We wanted to create a snow resort model that combines sports, leisure, vacation and wellness." Fabio explained that the concept of "cultural tourism" was not yet prevalent at that time, and some people saw the potential of the ski market but could not start. At that time, Europe was relatively mature in this regard.
"Nakanishi Snow Resort is very different in the nature of its construction. Western snow resorts are built on the basis of ecological protection and the need to retain local labor. In China, it's a purely commercial act. Therefore, how to bring economic benefits sustainably is the main issue. Fabio believes that the industrial radiation effect of Western snow resorts can be learned from Chinese snow resorts.
The development of the snow resort has brought various business opportunities such as accommodation, food, handicrafts, etc., and has also made locals think about how to do more activities around the snow resort. "I think the most important point of cultural tourism is differentiation." For example, Fabio said that when running the first project, he focused on combining snow resort activities with elements of the Great Wall, allowing local elders to tell the legend of the Great Wall to visitors who came to experience it.
"You have to explore and use the local history, traditional customs, food and lifestyle, etc., which I think consumers really want to experience." Fabio said Chongli has already displayed the signboard of "Jingbei Snow Township", but it should not stop there. Snow resort operators can look wider and make Chongli a multicultural and athletic hub. This is also a new round of challenges facing Chongli.
After the Beijing Winter Olympics, the ice and snow sports boom surging, and snow resorts everywhere riveted to attract customers. Fabio believes that many snow resorts in Chongli have reached the standard of event level, and there is less room to continue to rise. Sustainable economic development cannot rely solely on ski enthusiasts, but is not limited to all kinds of consumers of age and hobbies.
"Chongli's summer advantages are very obvious, and it can be said to be a paradise for outdoor sports and vacations." Fabio said that in addition to the development of ski resorts, outdoor sports including mountain biking, trail running, and hiking have emerged. Many projects have no threshold, as long as you are interested, you can come and experience. The elderly and children can also come here to escape the summer and enjoy the natural scenery.
Fabio believes that Chongli's next step is to develop its summer advantages, open up more customers, and let more people experience the different beauty of the local area. "Coming to Chongli in summer is a great choice with abundant vegetation. It is very pleasant to smell the aroma of pine needles in the forest. Everyone is welcome to take a look. (End)