RV Popularity Grows in China
Often citing the pandemic, more Chinese travelers are experimenting with RVs as they explore closer to home.
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Interest in camping and RVing is on the rise in China, as the pandemic and subsequent shutdowns have sparked more Chinese travelers to try out RV vacations and travel, according to CGTN. In addition, sales of recreational vehicles hit a record last year with almost 70,000 units sold.
“Because of the pandemic, we can’t go anywhere. Recreational vehicles give us the freedom to go anywhere,” explained Fan Lina, an RV traveler. “We don’t need to worry about booking hotels or getting up late. It gives us a lot of flexibility and saves a lot of money.”
Most RV owners in China are between the ages of 50 and 65. But, similar to what’s happened in the U.S., the last two years have seen more of an interest from a younger crowd–40- to 50-year-olds in China.
China now has roughly 1,400 large RV campsites, with numbers rising. And campsite owners have started to offer holiday packages tailored for RV travelers. Last year, 27 million internet searches sought RV travel on Chinese websites–48 percent more than in 2019.
The price of an RV varies widely, from 150,000 to 750,000 yuan ($23,250-116,250), with the most popular ones somewhere in the middle at about 500,000 yuan ($75,000).
Hong Zhiwei, marketing director at Sunshine Glamping Park in Beijing, said the park has hosted 3,000-5000 people during China’s National Day holiday. ” The RV industry will be a huge market in the future, with recreational vehicles being a family’s second car,” Hong said.
