Robots, campsites boost tourism upgrades amid China's steady recovery

Increased use of new technologies raises efficiency, leads to rising demand for unconventional travel experiences, experts say

WUHAN — Tourists returning to Chinese scenic spots this year may find many new services on offer — robots performing kung fu, interactive murals and deluxe camps — to name a few. Chinese tourists made 1.22 billion domestic trips in the first quarter of this year, and the country's tourism sector is actively developing new technologies and products to spice up the market.

The China (Wuhan) Culture and Tourism Expo held during April 21-23 attracted 2,000 exhibitors from home and abroad and offered a glimpse into the shift toward high-quality development.

A variety of new technologies — from VR tours and robot guides to intelligent wearables — have been stealing the spotlight at the expo, and are vying for a place in Chinese museums and scenic spots.

For instance, Crinoid, a humanoid robot playing the dulcimer at the expo, has been designed to read music scores, compose music and stage musical performances.

"We are discussing collaborations with several tourist sites, where our robots can be deployed to entertain the tourists," said Zhou Li, head of Crinoid's development team at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan).

"People are really interested in this new type of performance. What's more, the robot can perform for longer hours at a lower cost," said Zhou.

Industry observers say the increased use of new technologies in the tourism sector has not only raised management efficiency, but also catered to the rising demand for unconventional travel experiences.

"Technologies such as 5G, big data and cloud computing have been widely used in the tourism sector in recent years to develop new travel products and business models," said Fu Caiwu, head of the Institute of National Culture Development at Wuhan University.

"For instance, many tourist sites are now harnessing mobile internet and livestreaming to attract visitors. This has become a new promotion strategy," said Fu.

Other tourist attractions are embracing burgeoning new forms of tourism, such as camping and nighttime travel, to appeal to the wealthier and younger holidaymakers.

Prior to the expo, more than 200 tents were set up along the East Lake of Wuhan, where exhibitors showcased motor homes and camping equipment to the visitors.

On Shuangfeng Mountain in Hubei province, a campsite with over 100 motor homes is crowded with barbecuers seeking a respite from the urban hustle and bustle.

Hu Xiaojun, manager of the campsite, said all the motor homes had been booked up 20 days prior to this year's May Day holiday.

Though new to Chinese holidayers, camping has seen explosive growth in China.

Data from research firm iiMedia Research show that the core market size of China's camping economy reached 113.47 billion yuan ($16.14 billion) in 2022, from 74.75 billion yuan in 2021. The figure is expected to hit a new high this year.

Dai Bin, president of China Tourism Academy, said as China starts becoming a moderately prosperous society, a greater number of Chinese are going for leisure tourism.

"Moreover, the epidemic has boosted demand for local and short-distance travel, which also contributes to the emergence of new leisure tourism, such as camping," said Dai.