By Wang Jiping

When Technology Meets Tourism

By Wang Jiping

Cheng Hongxing, the inheritor of Fuyang paper cutting, a Chinese national intangible cultural heritage item, presents hiswork.

Just as China’s economy and global standing has grown at an unprecedented pace over the past several decades, its tourism market has seen rapid expansion. Thanks to China’s unique blend of ultra-new and ultra-old, people from around the world are visiting the country in increasingly large numbers. Chinese tourism operators, keen to modernize, have begun to implement technology to boost tourism, and thanks to their efforts, the Chinese tourism industry is evolving.

In 2015, China was the world’s fourth most popular tourist destination with 56.89 million inbound travelers, behind France, the United States and Spain. China’s foreign exchange earnings from tourism totaled $113.7 billion that same year, ranking second in the world, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. By the end of the year 2016, China’s outbound tourism is expected to rank first in the world, while jobs created in domestic tourism will enter a new phase, according to the 2016 China Development Report published by China Tourism Academy.

In line with this growth, tourism in China has absorbed new elements to successfully refresh its products and tourism experience, making “tourism plus” a hot word across China’s iconic tourist destinations.

Tourism Plus Culture

Jia Kun, a sales manager at aoyou.com, a Chinese tourism services website, said that visiting a city while also getting to know its local people is of increasing interest to both foreign and Chinese tourists. Greater access to education has given young people a greater desire to travel and truly experience a place, rather than just gaze at it through a tour bus window.

When A Bite of China, a documentary series that explores the diverse cuisine of China’s numerous regions and ethnicities, was released, there was a surge in interest in places and food depicted in the series. Ancient cities like Jianshui in

southwestern China’s Yunnan Province suddenly became popular among Chinese tourists seeking an authentic cultural and culinary experience. Companies like Jia’s have developed travel products that are based on the documentary, and such products have become extremely popular.

Wang Qi, a 28-year-old who lives in Beijing and loves to travel, has enjoyed one such product.

“For me, it’s not only a tour for leisure and fun, but a journey to China’s past,” Wang said, adding that when she witnessed the process of producing a traditional type of tofu in eastern China’s Anhui Province, she was enthralled by the intricacies of the process and the enthusiasm of those who made it.

“Such a craftsman’s spirit is usually not so common in China’s larger cities,”she said. “I think traveling to see such tradition at work is more interesting and meaningful than other types of travel.”

In addition to promoting hotspots of culture and local history, some tourism companies are establishing large and comprehensive cultural tourism parks and holding festivals for visitors. At the fifth Beijing International Tourism Commodities and Tourism Equipment Fair, Cai Baojun, a shadow puppet producer from Baoji in northern China’s Shaanxi Province, said that as the government pays more attention to protection and popularization of cultural heritage, a growing number of tourists are interested in traditional puppet making and paper cutting, which has provided an engine for tourism in Shaanxi. One such program the province has promoted is known as “tell your own story by shadow puppets”.

“I consider tourism a good opportunity to present culture and protect cultural heritage while also boosting the incomes of traditional local craftsmen,”Cai said. “Craftsmen like us sometimes have to struggle for adequate food and clothing.”

“Such a craftsman’s spirit is usually not so common in China’s larger cities,” she said.“I think traveling to see such tradition at work is more interesting and meaningful than other types of travel.”

High-Tech Tourism

Integrating high-tech gadgets and concepts like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and big data are taking hold across the tourism industry.

VR and AR allow people the chance to visit world-famous landmarks in a virtual sense, perfect for people who are too busy to travel or can’t afford a plane ticket. VR visiting options already exist for a number of destinations both in China and across ASEAN.

According to Zhang Shuo, marketing director of Hieason, a Chinese VR and AR company, VR allows potential customers to try out a place before they decide to visit.

“Besides this, VR and AR also help tourists plan their trips,” Zhang said.“VR and AR even give people like backpackers a chance to assess potential risks and understand possible dangers of where they are going, so they can prepare accordingly.”

Many tourism agencies in China have teamed up with VR technology companies, Zhang said, allowing themselves to introduce tourist destinations in a way more immersive than simple video and spoken word.

fte well-known Mount Huangshan Scenic Area in Anhui Province, which covers an area of 160.6 square kilometers, took the lead in introducing such technology. The scenic area offers visitors the chance to view some of its 200 unique scenic spots via VR technology, just in case weather worsens or visitors don’t have time to see all the places they want to go.

The “tourism plus internet” mode is beginning to show promise. By 2020, services like free wifi, smartphone-based guides and online information services will cover all of the scenic areas at 4A level and above, according to China’s National Tourism Administration. This means that tourists will be able to choose from a more diverse list of products offered by online travel agents, enter scenic areas more quickly through e-ticketing and easily access vehicle services within scenic spots by using smartphone apps. Later on, cars and bikes rented using a smartphone will also be available.

“The implementation of high-tech gadgets into tourism still has a long way to go,” Zhao said, adding that such technology is likely to improve facilities and diversity of travel destinations. Technology will bring surprises to the tourism industry in China, while also giving tourists from both China and abroad the chance to experience fascinating places in a way they never could have imagined, Zhao added.

Visitors experience Virtual Reality equipment at the Guangdong International Tourism Industry Expo 2016.