Alshaa village boosts household incomes with desert tourism

The Ulaankhad gatsaa (village) – located in Alshaa League in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region – is boosting the incomes of residents by taking advantage of its natural landscape and promoting desert tourism, according to local media reports.

A special tourism cooperative was established there in 2012, which leverages the natural landscape of the deserts, grasslands, lakes and wetlands surrounding the village. Supported by two 4A-level tourist areas – Tonghu Lake and Elisendalai – the co-op has jointly developed the local tourism industry.

Today, the area is full of activity. Relying on the Shapotou Desert Scenic Spot in the nearby Ningxia Hui autonomous region – 5 kilometers away in a straight line – the village is vigorously developing homestay tourism. The endless sea of sand and the vast night sky containing mesmerizing bright stars and galaxies are nowadays attracting hordes of tourists, bringing with them unlimited business opportunities.

At present, there are 70 herdsmen households in the village engaged in tourism operations in the scenic spot, and 140 households are involved in horse riding, camel riding, sand and sea surfing, desert off-roading, and karting projects, each with an annual income of more than 100,000 yuan ($14,268).

The village's per capita income has increased from less than 3,000 yuan before the establishment of the cooperative to more than 30,000 yuan now, enabling 133 poor people to get out of poverty and become rich.