Up, up and away: rising wealth fueling adventure
Print Edition
Climbing, skydiving and paragliding are sources of wonder for 64-year-old Ding Zhendong, a retired editor from north China鈥檚 Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Despite difficulties during the trip, the adventure was worthwhile for Ding thanks to the stunning landscape and thrilling experience.
Over the past years, he has driven to the Tibet Autonomous Region through four different routes and visited the south and north poles.
鈥淎dventure helps me learn the limits of my body and boosts my physical strength,鈥 he said.
Ding is among a growing number of Chinese who want more than relaxation from their travels.
China鈥檚 per capita disposable income was 49.7 yuan (US$7) in 1949 but 28,228 yuan in 2018 鈥 an increase of nearly 60 times in real terms.
As Chinese tourists become richer and more experienced, there is a growing desire to explore the world and try more adventurous activities, from African safaris to polar adventures.
The niche adventure tourism market includes activities such as caving, climbing, cycling and hiking.
Market consulting firm Allied Market Research estimated the global adventure tourism market was valued at US$586.3 billion in 2018 and is projected to hit about US$1.63 trillion in 2026.
鈥淐hinese travelers are playing an increasingly important role in the global adventure tourism economy,鈥 said Han Bo, chairman of the China Adventure Association.
According to a report released by the association, there were 130 million to 170 million people on the Chinese mainland involved in outdoor adventures, with an annual growth of around 15 percent.
Among them, the number of professional adventurers reached up to 60 million.
More than 100,000 enterprises are dedicated to providing services for adventure seekers, according to the report.
鈥淥nly a few Chinese such as scientists and archeologists were engaged in adventure travel in the past,鈥 Han said, adding that more ordinary and uninhibited people aged between 15 and 60 have now joined them to explore the unknown.
Luo Hong, 52, founder of China鈥檚 leading bakery chain Holiland, has journeyed to Africa 53 times, to the North Pole four times and the South Pole twice, photographing wildlife and nature to raise public awareness of environmental protection.
When he first visited South Africa in 2001, the locals asked him: 鈥淎re you Japanese?鈥 They were shocked when he answered he came from China as few Chinese tourists would visit Africa at that time.
Things are different now. 鈥淭his year, when I had a meal in a barbecue restaurant in Kenya, the locals sang the popular Chinese folk song 鈥楯asmine Flower鈥 in Chinese. I was very happy,鈥 he recalled.
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