RV-producing town on fast track amid China's shifting tourism landscape

NANJING -- At a motorhome site in East China's Jiangsu province, Zhang Hong switched on a diesel stove to prepare supper while her friends hung freshly washed clothes on racks or relaxed by the lake.

This was one stop on 55-year-old Zhang's month-long journey, which concluded in Inner Mongolia, more than 1,700 kilometers from her hometown of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province.

"Traveling in a camper van is convenient. I can go or stop whenever I want," she said.

Chenji Town, where Zhang was staying, is home to three recreational vehicle (RV) enterprises that sold 1,260 RVs in 2023, generating 640 million yuan (about $90 million) in sales, a 21.1 percent increase year on year.

"In recent years, sales of RVs in Chenji have accounted for nearly 10 percent of the national total, which means of every 10 RVs sold in China, one is made in Chenji," said Li Dingming, a town official.

"China is likely to become a new market for the RV industry," said Huang Da, chairman of the Weihang RV company, which became the first company of its kind in Chenji in 2011.

The city of Yizheng, which administers Chenji, already has a cluster of industries producing automobile parts and skilled talent in this field. Besides, Chenji's proximity to tourist cities like Yangzhou and Nanjing makes it well-positioned to develop its RV industry, Huang said, explaining why he chose the town.

Also, he believes that the consumption capacity of people in the prosperous eastern parts of China is relatively high, allowing them to become potential users of RVs.

With the help of favorable policies from local governments, the RV industry in Chenji has created around 500 jobs, encouraging young local talents to stay. According to the enterprises here, technical workers can earn 100,000 to 200,000 yuan a year, while annual incomes for sales personnel can exceed 300,000 yuan.

Shu Xun worked in the booming city of Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong province, before returning to Yizheng in 2022 to take on a management role overseeing production coordination.

Shu, who is in his 40s, now earns an annual income of about 150,000 yuan and is happy with his work and life. "I love automobiles, and this job really suits me," he told Xinhua. "Working in my hometown also allows me to be with my family and see my children as they grow up."

Sales of RVs in China have risen steadily in recent years. According to the China Automobile Dealers Association, in 2023 more than 14,000 RVs were sold, up 22.41 percent. The total number of RVs in the country has reached approximately 213,400. Data from China's leading online travel agency, Ctrip, shows that new customers accounted for 49 percent of RV travelers this summer.

Consumer demand is driving innovation in the RV companies in Chenji, leading to the continuous release of new models.

RV company Saide has developed a new model that its chairman, Huang Jian, used to travel from Yangzhou to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region this summer. In Turpan, where temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius, passengers inside the vehicle enjoyed a cool 30 degrees Celsius, thanks to the composite material used for the body panels, which effectively reduces heat transfer.

The car features multiple air outlets in its fresh air system, along with oxygen production equipment, considering that high-altitude areas like Xizang have become increasingly popular among RV users.

Huang live-streamed his 28-day tour, attracting over 100,000 viewers and resulting in 10 orders for the new model. "RVs take us to places that conventional travel cannot reach and offer experiences unlike traditional travel," he said, noting that during the trip, he witnessed a stunning starlit sky free of light pollution and encountered wild animals that typically avoid human activity.

According to Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, with improvements in people's lives, the development of China's tourism industry has entered a new phase characterized by individuality and diversity. Self-driving and family travel are becoming increasingly popular trends, driving the growth of the RV industry in China, which is expected to continue expanding, he said.

Authorities are now developing new tourist routes for RV travelers. The RV camping cultural festival in Yangzhou has attracted over 1,000 RV enthusiasts to Chenji, where they began their tours to other cities and provinces, according to local official Li Dingming.

"We also plan to launch RV rental services for young customers and integrate the industry with rural tourism, camping and outdoor sports," Li said.