Popularity in Xisha Islands tourism rises: travel agency
Celebrations for the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) have boosted military-themed tourism in China, including cruises to the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea.
The number of tourists who joined military-themed tour groups this summer is 1.3 times the number from the same period in 2016, while the red tourism market is three times larger than last year's, according to data provided to the Global Times by online travel platform lvmama.com on Thursday.
Some sites of famous battles and modern military facilities have become popular destinations, especially for families and young tourists.
Lvmama.com said the Tianjin Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park, Qingdao Naval Museum in East China's Shandong Province and Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan Province are three of the most popular destinations.
Military tourism in China includes visits to military museums, relics and facilities, military-related activities, as well as survival training, the People's Daily reported on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Nanchang Military Theme Park, the first such theme park in China, opened to the public, China Youth Daily reported on Wednesday. Nanchang, the capital of East China's Jiangxi Province, was the site of an armed uprising during the Chinese Civil War on August 1, 1927, which marked the founding of the PLA.
China on Sunday held a military parade at the Zhurihe military training base in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to celebrate the PLA's 90th anniversary, which falls on August 1. More than 12,000 servicemen from the army, navy, air force, armed police and newly formed rocket force and strategic support troops took part in the parade.
"Military tourism in China only accounts for a small part of the whole industry," Lucas Zhou, general manager of Scenic & Activities Group of lvmama.com, told the Global Times on Thursday.
"But China has rich resources for military tourism, which has been rapidly developing," Zhou said, noting that mysterious, fresh and high-tech content are the greatest attractions.
He added that military tourism helps visitors learn about national defense, strengthen patriotism and develop physical fitness. He also suggested that travel agencies arrange more military tourism tours with local governments.
Xisha tourism
"We have been receiving more inquiries about the Xisha cruise," a sales agent for Xisha tourism surnamed Xiong told the Global Times on Wednesday.
China started to promote Xisha Islands tours with cruises in 2013.
The Changle Princess and the Dream of the South China Sea, together with the since-retired Coconut Princess, have taken more than 20,000 tourists on over 120 trips to Sansha since 2013, according to the Sansha government's website, which administers the Xisha Islands.
Luo, another Xisha sales agent, said the four-day tour takes tourists to three islets: Quanfu, Yagong and Yinyu.
The Xisha tours are also about the military and patriotism, calling them "a journey to support the PLA." Activities include raising the national flag, singing patriotic songs and trying military cuisine, according to Kangtai Travel of Hainan.
"But the tour does not include interactions with army officers, and tourists will not land on the military-controlled islands," Xiong said, adding that the tour is not available to foreign citizens or residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
"The cruises are suspended when military drills are held," Xiong added.
"Tourists to Xisha are mostly made up of senior citizens, who have a special emotional attachment toward Xisha," Luo said.
Since the 1970s, countries have illegally occupied some islands and reefs in the South China Sea, China's foreign ministry said. They remember films on defending the South China Sea released in the 1970s.
Xiong also said Xisha tourism has attracted younger people because of the beautiful scenery.
