China’s Yunnan And Guizhou High-elevation Regions Ignite A New Economic Era With The Unprecedented Rise Of Long-stay Tourism

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

China’s Yunnan and Guizhou provinces are witnessing an unprecedented emergence successful long-stay tourism, driven by visitors escaping nan scorching summertime power successful different parts of nan country. With their cooler climates and unsocial earthy beauty, these high-elevation regions person go premier destinations for those seeking a prolonged summertime retreat. This surge successful semipermanent stays is igniting a “cool economy” successful some provinces, arsenic much travelers widen their visits, contributing to important economical maturation and transforming section tourism patterns.

In Kunming, nan vibrant superior of Yunnan Province successful southwest China, nan highland summertime migration is successful afloat effect. A dependable influx of visitors is making its measurement to nan area, drawn by nan committedness of a cooler climate, acold from nan scorching power of adjacent regions. This seasonal migration extends complete respective months, pinch travelers seeking respite successful Kunming’s refreshing highlands.

As summertime group in, Kunming’s guesthouses person remained bustling, pinch travelers from nan sweltering provinces of Sichuan and Chongqing filling nan rooms, shifting distant from nan accustomed seasonal visitors. Celebrated for its temperate climate, Kunming offers a much-needed retreat from nan searing power that dominates overmuch of China during this clip of year.

As nan power activity continues to impact galore regions of China, provinces for illustration Yunnan and Guizhou, pinch their summertime temperatures averaging betwixt 15 and 21 degrees Celsius, person go celebrated destinations for “cool summertime residencies.” This increasing inclination has led to a surge successful semipermanent visitors opting to enactment successful these cooler provinces to flight nan summer’s heat.

In nan first half of 2025, Yunnan saw a important surge successful semipermanent visitors, welcoming 2.8 cardinal guests—an awesome 45.4 percent emergence compared to nan erstwhile year. The mean magnitude of enactment for these visitors was 91 days, marking an 11-day summation compared to nan erstwhile summer. This displacement toward extended stays represents a important alteration successful really visitors are approaching recreation to cooler regions, highlighting nan increasing entreaty of semipermanent stays complete short visits.

In Qujing City, a known haven for its refreshing summertime climate, businesses are responding to nan increasing request for semipermanent accommodations. Companies for illustration Licheng Residential Leasing person converted vacant homes into afloat serviced residences, providing much than 100 beds successful nan Niujie community. With offerings that see 3 meals a day, nan displacement from short-term accommodations to semipermanent stays has attracted complete 200 guests, showcasing nan rising fame of these extended stays.

Experts constituent retired that semipermanent tourism is much beneficial to section economies compared to accepted tourism, which often only generates spending connected proscription and introduction fees. Long-term visitors thin to prosecute much pinch section communities, spending connected meals, activities, and services, which helps stimulate nan section economy. In Qujing, semipermanent visitors walk a important 40 percent of their fund connected dining, a stark opposition to nan accustomed 10 percent spent by short-term travelers. Last summer, Qujing welcomed complete 2 cardinal semipermanent visitors, generating an awesome 23.6 cardinal yuan (roughly 3.3 cardinal USD) successful revenue, pinch a highest regular influx of 270,000 visitors.

In Guizhou, nan region’s earthy beauty has spurred nan improvement of summertime residencies, pinch Xishui County now location to 28 projects crossed six townships. These developments, which location 36,000 households, are chiefly filled by visitors from different provinces. Since June, nan area’s hotels and homestays person reported highest seasonal occupancy, indicating beardown request for cool summertime residencies.

The tourism exemplary successful these regions is evolving. What started arsenic a attraction connected cool climates is now expanding to incorporated cultural, wellness, and acquisition offerings. For instance, children tin subordinate quality subject camps wherever they study astir section plants from wood rangers, while their parents prosecute successful workshops focused connected accepted crafts. In Yunnan’s Dali, visitors tin harvester nan region’s refreshing aerial pinch holistic wellness activities, including yoga successful nan serene forest, offering a restorative acquisition that blends quality pinch health.

Recognizing nan increasing imaginable of semipermanent tourism, China’s National Development and Reform Commission issued guidelines successful 2023 to promote nan improvement of summertime tourism. These recommendations accent nan value of improving some merchandise offerings and infrastructure to meet nan expanding request from semipermanent visitors. As this marketplace continues to expand, attracting high-value travelers is cardinal to ensuring sustainable growth.

Long-stay visitors to Yunnan are nary longer conscionable coming from adjacent Sichuan and Chongqing; an expanding number are walking from provinces specified arsenic Guangdong, Zhejiang, and moreover Heilongjiang successful nan acold north. Notably, complete 80 percent of these visitors are young and middle-aged adults, drawn to nan cooler ambiance and unsocial taste experiences offered successful nan region.

Experts from nan United Nations World Tourism Organization stress nan increasing necessity of climate-adaptive tourism successful consequence to world ambiance change. As world temperatures rise, nan inclination of cool summertime residencies is expected to proceed growing, positioning destinations for illustration Yunnan and Guizhou arsenic cardinal players successful nan early of sustainable tourism. These areas connection travelers a solution to nan discomfort of utmost heat, each while contributing to section economies and providing unique, long-lasting recreation experiences.