Solo tours changing industry

Western Hunan county taps into independent travelers' desires for relaxation and leisure, forcing organized group sight-seeing trips to take a back seat to genuine local experiences

The county of Fenghuang, a renowned tourist destination in the west of Hunan province, is offering more choices to tourists by promoting a holistic tourism model.

Located in Hunan's Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, the county is known for the Fenghuang Ancient Town featuring stilted buildings of the Miao ethnic people, shops selling traditional Miao handicrafts and local specialties, and bars on both banks of Tuojiang River.

"To develop holistic tourism means to transform traditional sight-seeing into more slow-paced and leisurely tours by integrating the resources of various destinations and industries and involving the whole community," said Yan Changwen, Party chief of Fenghuang.

Li Jinzao, director of the National Tourism Administration, proposed the holistic tourism concept in January, saying tourism has stepped into a new stage in which the traditional model of sightseeing cannot meet the needs of today's independent and self-driving tourists.

Wu Wenyan, a 22-year-old tourist, said she preferred traveling on her own instead of following a group.

"I'm tired of rushing from one scenic spot to another in a tour group. Just now I sat on the bench on the bridge over the river, doing nothing but watching people walking by. It's the first time I have traveled alone, and I want to follow my own path," she said.

Wu said that for the previous two days, she had stayed in a stilted building. From her room, she could see the entire town at night. She could drink a cocktail in a bar near the Tuojiang River and watch song and dance performances by the Miao people.

"The ancient town looks beautiful both during the day and at night," she said.

A middle-aged woman from Northeast China said she felt cool walking along the Tuojiang River, though the bars were not so attractive to her.

According to Tian Ruyong, deputy head of Fenghuang county who is in charge of the tourism industry, an ancient town-centered tour route with a length of 92.9 kilometers is under construction, stretching from natural scenery spots such as Tianlong Gorge, and Changtangang Reservoir in the west, to ethnic cultural destinations in the north, including the Shanjiang Miao Museum and the traditional Miao and Tujia villages.

"The Fenghuang Ancient Town, the showcase of Fenghuang county, has already earned fame among tourists. Besides, we have many traditional villages with well-preserved folk customs and culture. I see great opportunities for the future development of rural tourism," said Tian.

Offering more choices for travelers, improving services and regulating the market are also emphasized in Fenghuang's recent tourism development.

One example is the promotion of honest businesses in the Fenghuang Cultural Tourism Park.

The park is a facility for specialty exhibitions and sales.

According to management regulations for honest business in the park issued by Fenghuang Market and the Quality Supervision Bureau, enterprises in the park should sign a letter of commitment, saying that if any product is found to be fake, it will give tenfold compensation, and that customers can return goods without a reason within seven days of purchase.

A team of supervisors has been organized by the bureau to monitor the operations of local firms.

"We aim to protect the rights of customers and lift the overall image of Fenghuang through such measures," said Dai Xiong, director of the bureau.

Chen Meiling contributed to the story.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/16/2016 page12)