The file photo shows that many people enjoy flower viewing and leisure activities under plum trees in a park in Chongqing. (Photo/Li Yuheng)
Chongqing - As temperatures gradually rise, flowers bloom, filling Chongqing with vibrant colors. Flower viewing tours have also gained popularity.
The plum blossoms have formed seas of flowers at the Meixin Wine Town scenic area in Fuling District. "Flower viewing, spring outings, park tours, fitness activities... our scenic area has switched to spring tourism mode, and the number of visitors in recent days has increased by about 50 percent compared to usual," said Yang Xiaoyong, a representative at the scenic area.
Data from multiple online travel agency (OTA) platforms show that bookings for spring tour products have peaked for the first time since the Lantern Festival. Among the various spring outing activities, flower viewing is the most popular, with ticket orders for related scenic spots increasing by over 40 percent year over year.
To meet the balance of demand and supply, promote the upgrading and efficiency of scenic areas, and increase rural incomes, some OTA platforms have also created "profiles" for flower viewing tours based on big data.
In terms of customer demographics, the online travel agency Tuniu reported that female tourists are the main consumers of flower viewing tours, accounting for nearly 61 percent of the total trips. In terms of age, visitors between 26 and 35 years old and those aged 55 and above are the main participants in flower viewing tours.
In terms of flower types, data from the travel portal Qunar showed that destinations with larger fields of flowers that are easy to photograph, such as rapeseed flowers, cherry blossoms, and plum blossoms, attract more consumer attention.
Regarding the types of activities, the online travel agency Ctrip revealed that consumers more favor destinations offering new experiences, consumption options, and business models.
For example, integrated offerings such as "flower viewing + food," "flower viewing + sports," "flower viewing + music," and "flower viewing + trendy activities" are gaining popularity. Destinations with additional activities like study tours, camping, and night tourism, as well as new business models featuring homestays, folk culture experiences, and agricultural exhibitions, are also attracting more attention from the market.
Additionally, "flower viewing with traditional Chinese elements" and "treasure hunts for niche flowers" have become new trends among young people.
With the convenience of transportation, travel has become faster, farther, and more flexible. Flower viewing tours are often combined with off-peak travel options, and for flower viewing destinations, this has also posed a new challenge, Luo Zibai, Chief Expert of the Yangtze River Tourism Research Base at the China Tourism Research Institute and Director of the Chongqing Tourism Development Research Center at Chongqing Normal University
How to sustain the flower economy boom
"To enhance the quality of flower viewing tours, we must first upgrade the experiences by cross-sector collaboration and innovation, allowing tourists to enjoy more fun," said Xu Xiaolong, Chairman of Chongqing Langsa Aviation.
Recently, as various types of plum blossoms have bloomed at Mingyue Lake in the Liangjiang New Area, they have formed a 20,000-square-meter sea of flowers, creating a spectacular sight when viewed from above. Langsa Aviation has launched a "Flight to Spring" route, combining flower and low-altitude economies.
This route departs from Longxing General Airport in Liangjiang New Area and lasts 30 minutes, offering passengers a panoramic view of Mingyue Lake, Longsheng New City. Along the way, they can also enjoy sights like the Seres Auto Super Factory and Longxing Football Field.
"Since launching the route, business has been booming. Even though we have deployed more than 10 planes (including two-seat and four-seat models), tourists still need to queue during peak times," said Xu.
In addition to business innovation, Luo believed flower viewing tours also need to focus on deep integration.
Currently, tourism consumption in China is shifting from sightseeing to vacationing and experiencing. Tourists' travel modes are gradually transforming into multi-purpose activities, including leisure, vacationing, sports, and wellness. The cross-sector and multi-scenario consumption patterns during tourism are becoming more prominent. To attract fans with flowers, we need to further develop the "flower viewing + " industry chain by focusing on viewing and enjoying, hearing and seeing, tasting and savoring, making the integration deeper and expanding the flower world with a multi-angle, in-depth experience to stimulate consumption potential, Luo stated.
"Currently, the digitalization trend in cultural tourism consumption is becoming increasingly evident. To strengthen flower viewing tourism, we must embrace digitalization," said Zhang Dawei, Regional Government Affairs General Manager at Ctrip.
According to a survey by the Tourism Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese residents' destination choices for travel mainly rely on online channels, showing a diversified trend. Among them, short video platforms rank first with 69.3 percent, followed by social networking platforms with 59.7 percent, recommendations from friends and family with 51.1 percent, and official websites of scenic spots and online travel service providers, ranking fourth and fifth, with 47.6 percent and 34.6 percent, respectively. Digital technology is igniting the passion of young people for cultural tourism consumption.
"Over the past few years, with the boost from short videos and other new media, many popular destinations have emerged due to the internet butterfly effect, sparking a consumption phenomenon. This also provides valuable insights for building flower viewing destinations, emphasizing the importance of digital, network, and smart development to shape a recognized brand IP, turning 'beautiful views' into 'economic value,'" said Zhang.
(Han Yi, a reporter from Chongqing Daily, also contributed to this report.)