A campsite in Guanxian county, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With modern people's desire to get close to nature, camping has become a popular leisure activity, further fueling rural tourism.

Setting up a tent, barbecuing, drinking tea and chatting — people seem to have found the most relaxing way to spend their weekends. "During the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, our campsite received over 1,400 visitors, and our more than 200 tents were in short supply", said a manager from the Majia River Scenic Area in Guanxian county, Shandong province. During the recent holiday, Guanxian county welcomed 63,000 tourists.

In recent years, Guanxian county has attracted many tourists due to its unique geographical advantages and beautiful natural scenery. However, alongside the boom in rural tourism, the county also faces issues such as severe homogeneity of tourism products and a shortage of accommodations in scenic areas during peak seasons.

"After conducting market research and considering the actual development situations, we have decided to use the camping economy as the key to 'breaking the mold' in the rural tourism industry", said Liu Xiaojing, the propaganda minister of the county.

By enriching the 'camping+' scenarios and related businesses, the county aims to integrate ecological sightseeing, family gatherings and leisure sports into camping economy. This approach aligns with the travel needs of young consumers and helps alleviate the accommodation shortage in scenic areas during peak seasons.

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen

Editor Ⅱ: Wu Dan

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong