If they had prizes for the strongest tourist comeback post-pandemic, the province of Yunnan in China PRC would probably win. Thanks to robust government support, private sector coordination, and new transport links into this once-remote corner of China, the Yunnan tourism sector looks better than ever.
Dr. Zhao Shuhong, vice president of the Yunnan University’s Business and Tourism Management School, has seen this up close – and helped shape some of the policies that built Yunnan’s success story. Having been engaged in rural tourism research for many years, Dr. Zhao now supervises the development of rural tourism in Yunnan’s minority areas.
We asked her about rural tourism in Yunnan, its rural tourism success stories, and balancing revenue-earning tourism against the needs of the environment and the local communities.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Are tourism levels in Yunnan back to the same level pre-pandemic?
They’ve beaten pre-pandemic levels. During the May Day holiday, the province received a total of 35.013 million tourists, realizing a tourism income of 34.96 billion yuan. This is 234.8% and 230.4% over the same period of 2019.
What was behind Yunnan’s successful recovery from the pandemic?
Several reasons. First, government provided support and rewards to the sector. In 2023, new government measures will reward provincial-level cultural tourism projects with an annual investment of more than 200 million yuan; give loan discounts to major provincial tourism projects; and reduce taxes and fees for travel-related enterprises by a total of 1.5 billion yuan, among others.
Secondly, Yunnan actively cooperates with many domestic provinces and cities to establish regional culture and tourism cooperation. The opening of the China-Laos railway provides opportunities for cultural and tourism exchange, cross-border boutique tourism routes, and more potential for tourism development in Yunnan Province.
Finally, in the post-epidemic era, Yunnan has accelerated the innovation of tourism products. We are innovating new tourism formats and products, creating new IP for cultural tourism in Yunnan, and turning our “colorful Yunnan tourism paradise” into a reality.
Could you tell us more about the opportunities created by the high-speed rail from Laos? How will the new route help Yunnan tourism?
First, it will construct a new pattern for the Yunnan international tourism industry. The opening of the China-Laos Railway has created convenient conditions for the integrated development of tourism between Yunnan and ASEAN countries.
Secondly, it will promote the tourism development of cities along the route. A large number of “railway + tourism” projects are already being planned. The railway and cultural tourism departments will jointly launch tourism boutique routes and service brands such as “watching China by high-speed rail” and “traveling in Yunnan by high-speed rail” from Lijiang to Xishuangbanna; and promote the tourism development of Kunming, Yuxi, Pu ‘er and Xishuangbanna.
How challenging is it to develop rural tourism in Yunnan?
Most rural tourist destinations in Yunnan rely on tourism to get rid of poverty and promote rural economic growth. Local characteristics and culture are often ignored to copy the development model of other successful villages, leading to insufficient development of local agricultural tourism and serious homogenization problems.
Also, rural tourism proponents tend to be farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises. So the villagers’ subjective quality and ability are low, and their own development and construction ability is weak.
Limited by their own knowledge and quality level, the service reception level is low, which easily leads to poor tourism experience. In addition, development of rural tourism needs to introduce foreign enterprises and funds, which will lead to marginalization of villagers.
How can tourism help minority communities in Yunnan? What success stories can you share about minority communities benefiting from the tourist trade?
Tourism can protect and develop minority cultures, and strengthen cultural exchanges between ethnic groups. It can also promote infrastructure construction in minority areas, promoting local economic development. Finally, tourism can broaden the local industrial structure, and promote integration and development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries.
Take the case of Yuhu Village, located in Baisha, Yulong County. Known as the “first village of snow-capped mountains”, Yuhu Village almost completely preserves Naxi traditional culture. When you walk into Yuhu Village, you’ll see stone-wood houses everywhere; the appearance is very Naxi, and the decoration inside and outside the house is also unique.
However, Yuhu Village was very poor, and it relied on loans for spending money and relief for production. In 2003, the total economic income of Yuhu Village was only 2.34 million yuan, and the per capita net income of farmers was only 937 yuan.
This started to change in 2004, when Yuhu Village began to take rural tourism as the main development path.
What changed for Yuhu Village after its adoption of a rural tourism framework?
The main rural tourism project in Yuhu Village is the eco-tour on horseback and on foot. A village cooperative fairly dispatches the household-owned horses for everyone’s benefit, and has insured the groom, conductor, scenic spot announcer and tourists.
Based on a village resolution, ticket revenues are fairly divided into eight parts, to cover tourism service promotion fees, income from horse service, managers’ salary, office expenses, collective infrastructure construction fund, education fund, special hardship relief fund, and annual farmers’ dividend. These figures are published every quarter for everyone to see.
To upgrade infrastructure, parking lots, tourist public toilets and others were built in the village, in line with the local residential style. Yuhu Village is also committed to talent training: there is an education incentive fund in the village, farmers’ night schools established, and we are committed to training groups of outstanding talents.
After more than 10 years’ development, Yuhu Village has now changed the development mode of rural tourism: creating a “Naxi culture+” mode that honors intangible cultural heritage.
In 2021, Yuhu Village received a total of 80,000 tourists, and the tourism income increased from 180,000 yuan in 2003 to about 16 million yuan today. Today, the per capita disposable income of farmers was 21,600 yuan, showing that real rural tourism creates a prosperous countryside!
In your opinion, what needs to be done to make Yunnan tourism more environmentally sustainable, or help more marginalized communities?
We need to strengthen environmental protection, and take the green development route.
“Lucid waters and lush mountains” are invaluable assets; we should place environmental sustainable development as the primary premise in tourism planning and development. We should therefore control the scale of tourism, not blindly pursue economic benefits at the expense of local resources.
This calls for giving priority to natural recovery, and promoting green and low-carbon tourism. For example, hotels and restaurants should reduce the use of disposable goods, create low-carbon scenic spots, and encourage tourists to use bicycles or walk to help the sustainable development of Yunnan’s environment.
Second, we need to strengthen supervision. For tourism projects, it is necessary to strictly implement environmental impact assessment in accordance with regulations, ensure that the standards are met, and strengthen legal oversight and enforcement.
In your opinion, what “undiscovered” parts of Yunnan deserve to be seen more often by tourists?
Lushui City, which located in Nujiang Prefecture. There are many unique tourist attractions in the local area, such as Nujiang Grand Canyon and Gaoligong Mountain Scenic Area, which is a paradise for natural scenery lovers.
Lushui City is influenced by the terrain. The old and new urban areas are built along both sides of the canyon and located on both sides of the river. The color of the river is different in different seasons. There are many bridges of different sizes across the river, and the bridge in Lushui City has also become a highlight, especially Xiangyang Bridge, which is also engraved with many slogans of the times.
Crossing the bridge feels like crossing time and space. On one side of the bridge, there is a new city with many tall buildings, and on the other side, you’ll find a retro county that still stays in the 1970s.
The local Lisu people maintain a strong intangible cultural heritage; many ethnic festivals are still reserved, such as the Knife and Pole Festival and the bathhouse singing party. In the latter, many people still go back to the wild hot springs of the singing party to enjoy themselves on weekdays, listening to the roar of the river, experiencing the original ecological hot springs.
It coincides with national festivals, and you can also experience charming folk songs and dances, and feel the magic of going up the mountain and going down the sea of fire.
