The popularity of "Ben County" tourism has increased, and "small county towns outperform the metropolis" has become a new highlight

You can not only experience the fun of nature, but also immerse yourself in the atmosphere of fireworks

A new outlet for cultural tourism consumption, and county-level tourism is out of the circle

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Going to the county and the countryside is not only a new path for tourism in the new era, but also an active choice for urban people to "return to the basics". Many "treasure towns" have been on the hot search, and "small and beautiful" county tourism has released the "big energy" to promote local economic development. In order for county-level tourism to "go on fire", it is necessary to anchor the "long-termism" and focus on creating in-depth cultural experiences so that destinations can continue to release their attractiveness.

From Zibo last year to Tianshui this year, and then to Anji, Zhengding, Pingtan and other counties, tourist destinations seem to be sinking more and more, and the Internet celebrity effect is becoming more and more prominent.

Taste local specialties, immerse yourself in local culture, and play in the green waters and green mountains...... During this year's National Day holiday, many "treasure towns" were on the hot search, and the "small and beautiful" county tourism released the "big energy" to promote local economic development.

According to the data of Tianyancha Professional Edition, there are currently more than 2.48 million tourism-related enterprises in the mainland. Before 2021, the number of registrations showed an increasing trend year by year, reaching 815,000 registrations that year, and then fell slightly, showing an increase trend last year. This year, more than 251,000 tourism-related enterprises have been newly registered.

An underrated treasure town

In 2023, the average total tourism revenue of 1,866 counties across the country will be 4.295 billion yuan, and the average number of tourists received will be 5.0827 million, an increase of 41.19% and 35.18% year-on-year respectively, showing a strong recovery trend in county-level tourism.

"Homesickness", "simplicity", "fireworks", "perching", ...... Since the beginning of this year, the popularity of "Ben County" tour has been further enhanced, and "small county towns outperform the metropolis" has become a new bright spot in the tourism market. Tongcheng Travel data shows that the number of hotel bookings in popular county destinations during the National Day holiday increased more than the market, of which nearly 100 counties and county-level cities increased by more than 50% year-on-year.

"Ticket issuance is soft! 50 tickets for 5 minutes are gone, 50 tickets for 5 minutes are gone! On October 12, Zhu Qian, a staff member of the Visitor Center of Chongqing Fuling Meixin Wine Town, said that she couldn't wait to have three heads and six arms, and felt that there were more people on this year's National Day than during the "May Day" and Spring Festival.

Every holiday, the wine town is among the "traffic responsibilities" of Chongqing's scenic spots, and various factors such as landscape homestays, interesting architecture, characteristic food, and affordable consumption attract tourists to check in. In just 7 days, the visitor flow is nearly 1 million, and the scenic area is packed, and many tourists enjoy the rural fireworks and special tourism projects here, and immerse themselves in the leisurely vacation life of this riverside town.

Anti-punching, anti-piling, opening blind boxes, lightning holiday premium, the pursuit of freedom and casualness, 22-year-old Xiao Tang, who has just joined the work, went to Chongqing Meixin Wine Town Scenic Area during the National Day holiday. Because hotels and B&Bs are particularly popular, Xiao Tang spent 100 yuan/day to eat and live in the Meixin Nursing Home in the scenic area.

"During the few days I lived in the nursing home, I spent a pleasant time with a group of elderly friends, exercising in the morning, eating breakfast together, going out to visit attractions during the day, and coming back at night to watch movies and chat with elderly friends, which was a rare experience." Don Jr. said.

In the interview, the reporter learned that during the peak tourist season, Meixin Nursing Home innovatively launched a pilot youth nursing home during the National Day, and Xiao Tang happened to be the first batch of young people to live in the nursing home. "Today's young people are under a lot of pressure and have irregular schedules, so we want to provide a place where young people can relax and relax, so that they can adjust themselves by lying down for a short time, so that they can devote themselves to a better life in the future." Wang Li, the person in charge of the nursing home in Meixin Wine Town, said.

The reporter found that "fancy pet guests" around the country developed "county tour +", allowing tourists to immerse themselves in "poetry and distance". Longjiang Township, Longling County, Baoshan, Yunnan Province, relying on the unique local topography and landform, outlines the "fish" swimming pattern in the rice fields, and makes it into a maze to attract tourists to come to check in and experience; Heilongjiang grasps Jihezhe Village, backed by Hezhe culture and local fishery to develop characteristic tourism, taste special fish banquets, enjoy bonfire parties, so that tourists often play and are always new; Hebei Zhengding Rongguofu Scenic Area launches performances such as "Bao Dai Hai First Meeting" and "Bao Dai Reading the West Chamber" every day, and tourists are immersed in the scene and enjoy the profound culture of the Red Mansion.

Industry insiders pointed out that from ecological tourism, food tourism, to cultural tourism, "county +" has developed countless growth points and unlimited possibilities. With its unique natural scenery, history, culture and folk customs, county-level tourism continues to heat up, and "treasure towns" have emerged one after another, injecting strong new momentum into the development of China's county economy.

Let the town have "sight" and "play"

At present, the county coverage rate of A-level tourist attractions in China has increased from 73% in 2012 to 93% in 2023, and tourist attractions have strongly supported tourism development and county economic development. Immerse yourself in the fireworks of the county, fully feel the local characteristics at a low price, and most of the young people in "Ben County" are looking for a simple life atmosphere in a small place.

Enjoying the idyllic scenery, eating farmhouse meals, living in farmhouses, in the early morning of autumn, the Zhagana Scenic Area in Diebe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture ushered in an endless stream of tourists; The thousand-year-old Dongtan temple fair rekindled the fireworks of the prosperous era, and opened the first new Chinese-style cultural tourism temple fair in Jincheng, with 23 360-minute ultra-long live performances throughout the day; The new tourism supply of Xunliao Bay in Huizhou, Guangdong Province stirs up the consumption of "a pool of living water".

Judging from the data on the Tongcheng platform, the game "Black Myth: Wukong" brought the Xiaoxi Tianjing Scenic Area in Linfen in the west of the Fire Mountain, and the tourism popularity during the National Day holiday increased by more than 20 times year-on-year. "Although the house is small, it is a national treasure; Open for the first time and never disappoint; The statue of the Buddha is full of heavens; The shape is exaggerated and the spirit is flying; Authentic and watching. During the National Day holiday, Zhao Jianfei, a security officer of the Iron Buddha Temple, gave a "welcome speech" to the tourists every day with passion. "The security guard spoke better than the tour guide!" Many netizens praised it.

Another game filming location, the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, is even more exaggerated, and the number of visitors on the day of "Eleventh" exceeded 30,000, a year-on-year increase of 114.78%. The number of hotel bookings in Datong has also increased by more than 60% year-on-year. The roads are not only crowded with out-of-town vehicles, but also local taxis and "Didi" are all full.

During the National Day holiday, Cangnan County, Zhejiang Province received 1,607,100 tourists, a year-on-year increase of 37.22%. In particular, relying on the unique industrial heritage and natural scenery of Jinshan Town, more than 30 activities such as the Mine Concert, the Mine Exploration, the Steampunk Visual Art Show, and the Fude Bay Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition and Performance ignited the entire holiday.

In order to make the town "interesting" and "playful", Cangnan took advantage of surfing to become a new Olympic event, and built Conch Bay, which has a flat beach and even waves, into a surfing resort; Cangnan Alum Mountain was originally an industrial town with alum refining industry as the main economic support, which has shifted from mining production to afforestation and ecological restoration, and at the same time returned the scenery to the people, allowing tourists to experience the slow life of "returning to the countryside" in the ancient village of Fude Bay.

Stretching the timeline, it can be seen that "Ben County Tourism" is not "exclusive" for the National Day holiday. In recent years, the rich cultural and tourism potential and economic growth points contained in county-level tourism are being continuously explored--picking tea in Anji in spring and Huangling in autumn to watch the autumn, and the time dimension has given more development momentum to the "small and beautiful" county-level tourism. The supply of tourism resources that arises in response to the times and adapts to local conditions has laid a rich resource accumulation and travel choices.

From "Fire Up" to "Red Down"

The momentum and potential of county-level tourism development are obvious to all. At the same time, it is also necessary to see the hidden problems, such as traffic congestion in scenic spots, insufficient supply of surrounding parking lots, "power anxiety" of new energy charging piles, rising market prices and "stealing customers".

Li Xinjian, executive director of the Capital Institute of Culture and Tourism Development of Beijing Second University of Foreign Chinese, pointed out that in order for county tourism to "go on", it is necessary to anchor "long-termism", focus on creating in-depth cultural experiences, and let destinations continue to release their attractiveness.

"If the county scenic spot is still in the initial stage of rural tourism, it is easy to cause development failure and huge waste." Gao Shunli, a special researcher at the Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the business environment and talent mechanism should be used well, and the creativity and methods that can best respond to the demand of the tourism market should be developed.

In fact, the good experience of county tourism is inseparable from convenient transportation and comfortable living environment. At present, the "country homestay" has long bid farewell to the image of dirty and messy, and the basic services such as perfect water and sewage pipe network equipment, clean and hygienic living conditions, catering and medical care have guaranteed the high-quality living space of tourists, and the "high quality" of infrastructure has caught the "large flow" of county tourism.

"We should all see that a new stage of development of mass tourism with a sinking market and upgraded demand has arrived." Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, said that "few people, beautiful scenery" and "each with its own characteristics" are the charm of county tourism, and it is necessary to meet the needs of tourists for differentiated and niche tourism products, so that tourists can gain different experiences and memories in every trip.

"It's not that big cities can't afford to go, but small counties are more cost-effective." Behind the "Benxian Tourism" is the renewal and iteration of tourism concepts, the structural changes of the tourism market and the "two-way rush" at both ends of supply and demand. "Ben County" is not only a consumption trend, but also an opportunity for a small city to break through. This benefit will not only be economic. (Workers' Daily reporter Li Guo)