Summer Cooling Economy Takes Off in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality

As heatwaves blanket much of China, high-altitude destinations in the mountainous areas of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality are experiencing a surge in visitors seeking relief from the sweltering temperatures. This influx is fueling the rise of a "summer cooling economy" and giving fresh momentum to rural tourism, as the region deepens efforts to integrate culture with tourism development. High-altitude campsites, resorts, and scenic areas are drawing large numbers of visitors, with some areas experiencing year-on-year increases of over 50% in tourist numbers and revenue.

Key Takeaways:

• The Daobeiliang forest campsite in Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County has seen a peak daily footfall of around 2,000 visitors during last year's trial run, with the campsite fully booked almost every day.
• The area has leveraged its high-altitude climate and unique landscape to create diverse summer tourism experiences, including wind turbines, forests, and cloud-top vistas.
• Shizhu has welcomed about 9.92 million tourists and generated around 7 billion yuan (about 979 million U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue since June this year, marking year-on-year increases of 5 percent and 6.28 percent, respectively.
• The Fairy Mountain National Tourist Resort in Chongqing's Wulong District has attracted over 200,000 visitors during peak periods with its "Treetop Walk" nature education camp and other attractions.
• Independent travelers, mostly seasonal visitors, surged by 54.42 percent in Qijiang District in southern Chongqing, with five resorts located above 1,000 meters in altitude also experiencing a surge in visitors.
• Local residents, such as Shuai Chengyou and Wang Guangmin, are benefiting from tourism, with Wang's snack stall generating up to 10,000 yuan a month during peak rafting season.

Statistics:

• 9.92 million tourists have visited Shizhu since June this year.
• 7 billion yuan (about 979 million U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue has been generated in Shizhu since June this year.
• 5% year-on-year increase in tourist numbers in Shizhu.
• 6.28% year-on-year increase in tourism revenue in Shizhu.
• 25.27% year-on-year increase in ticketed tourist numbers in the Wulong District's scenic areas.
• 19.06% year-on-year increase in revenue in the Wulong District's scenic areas.
• 54.42% year-on-year surge in independent travelers in Qijiang District.

Sources:

• (NAMPA) - no date provided
• "Thanks to the pleasant summer weather, we reached peak daily footfall of around 2,000 visitors during last year's trial run, and we've been fully booked almost every day," said Li Hao, who manages the Daobeiliang forest campsite.
• "This year we've added new viewing platforms and introduced attractions like mountain biking and cloud-top go-karts, which are seeing strong bookings, especially from families vacationing during the school break," Li said.
• According to the culture and tourism commission of Wulong, as of mid-July, ticketed tourist numbers and revenue in the district's scenic areas went up 25.27 percent and 19.06 percent year on year, respectively.