East Lake Comment: Developing rural tourism should not only "mold" but also "cast soul"

On February 22nd, the documentNo. 19 "Opinions of the Central Committee of the State Council on Doing a Good Job in Promoting Rural Revitalization in 2022" was officially released. The "Opinions" call for continuing to promote the integration and development of rural primary, secondary and tertiary industries, encouraging all localities to expand various functions of agriculture, tapping the diversified values of rural areas, and focusing on developing rural leisure tourism and other industries. During the Tenth Five-Year Plan period, promoting the rapid development of rural tourism will not only become an important way for urban residents to spend their holidays, but also become a positive force for increasing farmers' income, increasing agricultural efficiency and rural economic and social development.

According to statistics, more than 70% of urban residents in China choose to travel all over the country on weekends and holidays, and more than 80% of developed cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. In recent years, the number of tourists received by rural tourism in China accounts for more than half of the total number of tourists received in China. At present, all localities insist on building a number of high-quality rural tourism destinations with green as the background, culture as the soul and industry as the support. However, due to the lack of planning, there are some noteworthy places in rural tourism in some places, such as monotonous content, too high and uniform, lack of "original flavor" in rural areas, and neglect of soft environment management. Some experts pointed out that to develop rural tourism well, we should not only create a "good image", but also create a "good soul".

Planning first, based on characteristics. Scientific and orderly planning is very important for the overall development of rural tourism. In rural tourism planning, only by protecting the natural ecological landscape and local cultural customs, coordinating the relationship between man and nature, and developing industries with unique local characteristics according to local conditions can attractive rural tourism be developed. The main reason why yuanjiacun in Shaanxi and Moganshan in Zhejiang are difficult to replicate is that the localities always follow the plan first and base themselves on their own characteristics. Among them, yuanjiacun has taken rural tourism as a breakthrough for many years, built a platform for farmers' entrepreneurship, promoted one production with three industries, and realized the integrated development of three industries; For more than ten years, Moganshan Town has adhered to the road of green ecological development, vigorously developed homestay and tourism industry, and built a beautiful and livable town in China. To sum up, scientific and reasonable planning is the premise of developing rural tourism, which can effectively solve the contradiction between natural landscape protection and production development in rural tourism development.

Excavate culture and cultivate business forms. To develop rural tourism, we should explore the connotation of rural culture. At present, some scenic spots are still in an extensive pattern, with one-sided emphasis on the development of rural nature and neglect of the excavation and utilization of local cultural connotations. Therefore, on the one hand, it is necessary to highlight the rural human history, natural landscape and industrial characteristics, do a good job of "agriculture", fully tap the traditional rural culture, and give the farming experience project story and soul. On the other hand, we should insist on quality first and benefit first, vigorously promote cross-border allocation of factors, industrial integration and rich and diverse formats, vigorously implement rural industry cultivation projects, constantly expand new formats such as rural tourism, rural e-commerce, healthy old-age care, sports health and cultural creativity, enhance the added value of rural tourism, and cultivate and strengthen beautiful countryside's economy.

Policy support, multi-input policy support is very important for the development of rural tourism. All localities can refine and improve the incentive and support policies for local rural tourism development, and set up special funds for rural tourism development, which can be used for rural tourism loan discount subsidies, product and format development subsidies, tourism commodity development and marketing. Concentrate all funds, combine beautiful countryside construction, rural infrastructure construction projects with rural tourism development, create a number of tourism products with distinctive features and complete facilities, and improve the supporting degree and service function of rural tourism. In addition, private capital is encouraged to invest in rural tourism projects by means of sole proprietorship, joint venture and partnership. Efforts will be made to form a diversified business pattern and realize misplaced development. Diversified tourism products such as farmhouse clusters, characteristic agricultural parks, leisure farms, rural tourist streets, boutique self-driving routes and outdoor experience projects will meet the multi-level consumer demand.

Tangible soulless is like an empty shell, far from form and spirit. Rural revitalization is not only a simple economic issue, it has gone beyond the scope of industrial development and economy, and rural tourism is only an extension of rural industrial revitalization. The development of rural tourism should not only "shape", but also "cast soul". Only by making agricultural resources scenic, allowing farmers to live in scenic spots and rich scenic spots, and transforming the unique ecological, cultural and social values of rural areas into real economic values of farmers, can we create a tangible and spiritual rural tourism destination.

Source: Jingchu.com.

Author: Paul Hu (Zhijiang, Yichang)