Guilin seeks to boost residential tourism

More than 200 representatives in the cultural and tourism industry from across China and overseas recently gathered at the Guilin Global Residential Tourism Conference in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. They explored effective ways for Guilin to transform itself from a traditional sightseeing destination into a high-end residential tourism hub.

The Guilin residential pilot project was also launched on-site, and six hotels were selected for the initiative. It aims to elevate the overall quality and standards of residential tourism offerings throughout Guilin.

Zhang Jianbin from CTG Travel said in his keynote speech that Guilin is fully equipped to become a global benchmark for residential tourism. He suggested the city advance the comprehensive upgrading of its residential tourism industry by focusing on service quality, systematic health support and in-depth cultural experiences.

Liu Yanhang, head of residential tourism at the online travel agency Trip.com Group, said in her speech that Guangxi's tourism industry has sustained steady growth and gained increasing global influence, and Guilin's tourism market is also witnessing strong upward momentum.

Rooted in the trends of the silver economy, she said that Trip.com will integrate all resources to create benchmark residential tourism products for Guilin. The company will focus on cultural-tourism integration, health and wellness tourism and digital cultural tourism, to introduce more promising projects to Guilin and drive its inbound tourism.

Philippe Garnier, founder of WPW Performance Consulting, said that to attract more international long-stay visitors, China needs to continue to optimize visa policies, improve infrastructure, foster diverse residential tourism products, develop immersive cultural programs, and partner with international influencers.

Industry experts from home and abroad joined a panel discussion to share their views on new models for the global residential tourism industry and provide insightful suggestions.

Participants noted that Guilin's stunning natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage and efficient transportation networks have laid a solid foundation for long-stay tourism. The city can develop tourism products with a long-term vision to lengthen visitors' stays and enrich their travel experiences.

They proposed developing wellness tourism products for the elderly and creating customized tourism products for young people.