As a vital component of the ongoing 2021 China Tourism and Culture Weeks, a forum centering on tourism and rural development was held on Tuesday in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Comprising of keynote speeches and a panel discussion, guest speakers shared their insights into the role tourism plays in rural revitalization and the future trends in the field of rural tourism.

Duan Zhouwu, director of the Network of International Culturalink Entities, delivered a speech at the event and stressed the importance of telling stories about China through tourism. He maintains that travel, as an all-encompassing activity, is a good carrier of stories. “When we start a journey, what we feel and experience is a vivid reflection of social development, state governance, living environment, cultural landscape and folk customs. So we should share with the world the part tourism plays in driving our economy, facilitating rural revitalization, reducing poverty, unleashing potential in the culture sector and improving environmental conditions," said Duan.

Regarding the future development of rural tourism, Zeng Bowei, director of China Tourism Economy and Policy Research Center of Beijing Union University, argues that rural tourism will be a very promising sector.

He points out that rural tourism is more resilient compared with other travel genres. With the number of urban dwellers gradually increasing in China, people tend to take more “ micro holidays” to villages near the city, and travel products are more diverse than ever, as besides sightseeing, travelers now can have a rich experience in rural areas including camping, outdoor sports and enjoying local folk culture.

Rural tourism is now witnessing an unprecedented boom in China. According to Trip.com, one of the world's largest online travel agencies, by March 2021, rural tourism trips in China had increased by more than 300 percent year-on-year.