Shanxi has bright RV market

Shanxi's first international recreational vehicles (RV) and camping expo that took place from April 10 to 12 saw a remarkable performance.

A total of 36 exhibitors brought over 120 RVs to take part in the expo, as well as other products on the RV and camping industrial chain. Moreover, Shanxi's over 60 tourist attractions, hotels and travel agencies also attended the expo with their products.

The expo's turnover amounted to 50 million yuan ($8.07 million) over three days, and over 150 RVs were sold on site. Some RV fans came to inquire about travel by RV, such as RV camping sites and travel routes.

"In the coming five to 10 years, travel by RV may become a new fashion," said Dong Ruijiang, founder of the Shanxi RV Club.

An exhibitor of the expo, surnamed Liu, said the expo's performance exceeded his expectations. "Shanxi is an important buyer's market for RVs. Its first RV expo was listed second place across the country in terms of achievement and scale," Liu explained. He plans to participate in the expo again next year.

Just like Liu, many other players in the RV market regard the prospects of Shanxi favorably. Liao Hongbin is in charge of the self-driving tour and RV camping business in the China Tourism Automobile and Cruise Association. He said the sales and rental business of RVs will rise in the future as people tend to travel by more individual and diversified approaches.

However, "The RV market must go with strong functional camps, or the RV alone will face difficulty winning popularity," Liao added.

Fortunately, Shanxi has 12 RV camps already. All the 12 camps are developed, with well-equipped parking, water, electricity and drainage facilities, as well as mature supporting services.

The Shanxi RV club is the largest one across the country, with nearly 2,000 members and over 200 RVs.

According to professional opinion, Shanxi has advantages in developing the RV market. On the one hand, the province's traditional industries, such as the coal industry, are looking for investment fields as the province is in economic restructuring. Tourism is a propitious choice for them.

On the other hand, Shanxi boosts profound natural resources such as mountainous areas, forests and lakes, which are advantages to building RV camps.