China has maintained its position as the world’s 2nd largest economy. Its community party is celebrating the 100th anniversary in 2021. China is promoting Red Tourism as it’s new way of attracting tourists and boosting the economy. This tourism trend has been very successful for the country, but what exactly is red tourism?
What is Red Tourism?
The concept of red tourism began in 2002 when China hosted a summit with other Asian countries. China promised to develop their own cultural heritage sites while also fostering international awareness of these areas through joint ventures between Chinese provinces and foreign countries. In 2003, one year after this summit, Beijing encouraged domestic travel by improving roads and railway lines throughout the country as well as creating more tourist attractions to draw visitors from all over Asia. These plans were put into action in 2006-2007 when Beijing hosted both the Summer Olympics and Expo 2008 at virtually no cost to taxpayers or citizens alike!
China had introduced Red Tourism in 2004. It is defined as visiting places, where some important events of modern revolutions took place. China is mainly trying to promote its locations where major cultural and historical events took place.
Red Tourism is a way of reminding people about the sacrifices made by Chinese leaders to make it stronger and more economically powerful. It is way of introducing places, which have cultural and historical importance to new generations. That’s what Red Tourism is all about!
It seems like a campaign to improve the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in China. This party has been responsible for china’s economic growth. It is also criticized for turning China into a communist nation.
• It’s offering a necessary boost to local businesses:
Red Tourism has been proven beneficial for locals. Places with historical and cultural values are serving more tourists every year. Accommodation industry and restaurants are experiencing a considerable growth in their business.
Many Chinese and international tourists have tried the Red Tourism. They have visited various historic Chinese sites. They spent money, which has contributed n boosting local economies.
• It’s about reminding people how the ruling party changed the country:
Along with offering an economic boost to local economies, Red Tourism is also benefiting the ruling party. This tourism reminds tourists about how the party was formed. Some people consider it a great trip to be familiar with the ruling party’s values and its history.
Some experts even believe that Red Tourism has become the core of China’s growing tourism industry. People, who try it, get familiar with people’s sacrifices. People get familiar with leaders, who have sacrificed to turn China into a global power. Although nobody openly says it, it is simply a way installing the ruling party’s ideology in visitors’ mind.
Which sites are included in Red Tourism?
Red tourism includes the following sites:
• Yan’an: It is known as Chinese Leader Mao Zedong’s bas area. The Red Army had reached this place after the Long March.
• Shaoshan: It is Mao’s birthplace.
• Jinggangshan: This is the location where the Chinese Communist Party’s leaders had established their initial rural base.
• Nanchang: It is the capital city of the Jiangxi Province. This is the province where Zhou Enlai and He Long had led the uprising in 1927.
• Jinggang Mountain: This mountain is located in the Jiangxi Province of China. This is the place where the Chinese Communist Party’s revolution had begun in 1927.
• Zunyi: This place is located in Guizhou Province and this place is ruled by the Chinese ethnic minorities.
• Jiangxi and Guizhou provinces: Mao had his early battles on these sites and these are the sites from where he had escaped from Chiang Kai-Shek’s Nationalist forces.
Here you are getting familiar with just a few sites included in Red Tourism. In reality, there is a long list of places. Yan’an alone has about 140 locations to visit. Tourists try to visit most of these places when they are a part of the Red Tourism. There are some places, which even Chinese locals have never seen before. That’s why this new type of tourism is booming in China.
Why Red Tourism has become so popular in China?
China is a communist country led by a leader, who is going to rule the nation for indefinite time. It is the period when the Chinese economy is booming. Outsiders see Chinese Communist Party as a suppressing regime. However, Chinese people do not think so. They admire their culture and they are proud of their rich history. Therefore, a growing number of tourists are opting for Red Tourism.
• Locations are featured as big attractions:
All the locations in Red Tourism have historic importance. They are promoted as the most important locations in modern China’s history. Various products related to locations are promoted for tourists. They buy those products and help local vendors in growing their business.
• It mainly attracts young tourists:
Most people, who opt for Red Tourism, are aged between 21 and 30. They account for around 60% visitors. Numerous young Chinese citizens are considering Red Tourism as a big achievement and they want to take this tour at least once.
• The government is also trying its best to improve tourists’ experience:
Any kind of tourism survives when tourists like it. Chinese tourists are enjoying visiting historic and cultural sites. The government has also invested around $370 million to improve tourists’ experience. Many new projects have been initiated to ensure more and more people go for Red tourism.
• Red Tourism is turning into the most popular type of Chinese tourism:
Currently, the Chinese red sites gain about 10% of the entire budget allocated for boosting the tourism industry. The statistics were first shared by the Chinese government in 2018. Experts believe the share of red sites is increasing in the tourism budget.
The government is trying to turn Red Tourism sites and the main tourist sites in China. The exponential growth in tourism also proves that Chinese government’s initiative is working.
Final thoughts:
The Chinese Communist Party is simply trying to maintain the loyalty of the Chinese citizens. It rules the country with some strict policies. Those policies prevent people from raising their voice against mishaps.
Although Red Tourism has been widely criticized across the globe, it has generated huge revenues for China. It has been one of the key contributors in the Chinese economy during the pandemic.
Red Tourism is a way to refresh people’s memory of the old regimes, who ruled china before the Chinese Communist Party. Its growing popularity reveals that the ruling party is succeeding in achieving its goal. More local and international tourists will choose Red Tourism as an attempt to learn about the Chinese history and revolutions.
