A file photo shows tourists in Shanghai enjoying a boat ride in spring. Photo: VCG

 

"An unusually warm March in Beijing this year has been a blessing for outdoor sports enthusiasts including me. During the past two weekends, I've driven to Hebei (in North China) for hiking and camping. Embracing nature in spring leaves me feeling completely refreshed," a 24-year-old woman surnamed Zhang from Beijing told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The demand for outdoor activities and seasonal tourism is surging which drives domestic consumption boost, as multiple places in China reported temperature rise, and the National Climate Center predicted that, during this spring from March to May, temperatures in most parts of the country will be close to or above normal time.

Warmer spring weather is driving growth in tourism and service markets, creating substantial opportunities for outdoor gear suppliers, the Global Times has learned.

Since March, the popularity of spring outings and flower-viewing tours has increased by more than five times month-on-month, Chinese travel platform Fliggy told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Fliggy noted a significant rise in spring excursions, such as flower-viewing, pet-friendly trips, temple visits, and "training-style tours," with temple ticket bookings on the platform increasing by over 80 percent in March year-on-year. Meanwhile, car rental bookings since March have risen by more than 30 percent year-on-year, the company said.

Family travelers have seen the highest increase in demand for spring outings, with per capita bookings rising across many travel platforms.

In early March, Beijing and Nanjing city in East China's Jiangsu Province have emerged as top spring travel destinations, according to data from short-term rental platform Muniao.

Beijing's tourism bookings surged 114 percent year-on-year on Muniao, the local Beijing News reported.

Outdoor activities

Among outdoor activities like hiking, picnicking, cycling, boating and mountain climbing, people's enthusiasm for camping has surged among Chinese consumers.

Outdoor tent suppliers and retailers have reported a sharp rise in sales this spring, with demand for camping tents steadily growing, particularly since March.

"Last March, we sold 10,000 tents, but this year, sales for the same period rose to 12,000, marking a 20 percent increase," Shi Yang, a representative from Zhejiang Boteen Tent Manufacturing Co, a Yiwu-based outdoor gear supplier, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

In March, sales of the company's other popular outdoor products, including sleeping bags, camping tables and chairs, also witnessed a notable growth in sales, averaging an increase of around 15 percent, said Shi.

"Lightweight family tents are among the most popular orders, highly favoured for their easy setup, portability, and compact design," he said.

Shi attributed the trend to the warmer spring temperature, growing enthusiasm for outdoor activities, the rise of the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, and continuous improvements in product quality and service.

"Tent sales during the spring season have surged, with orders nearly doubling from last year. Production now reaches 600 to 1,000 tents daily," a manager from another outdoor gear dealer from East China's Zhejiang Province told the Global Times.

"Windproof, rainproof, and double-layer tents are the best-sellers, providing good protection against spring's unpredictable weather," the manager said, who declined to be named.

The manager noted that models with good breathability, UV protection, and expandable awnings are now in high demand. "Once popular mainly among campers, tents are attracting young people as camping increasingly becomes a much-coveted pastime," the manager said.

In addition to camping gear, demand for spring sports products has also risen significantly this year.

For instance, an Anta store in Fangshan District, in southwest Beijing, has witnessed a significant increase in customer visits since March.

The store representative told the Global Times that as temperatures rise, more people are engaging in outdoor activities like jogging and hiking, driving demand for sports gear.

Consumption upgrading

In 2024, China's camping related sales - including camping gear, campsite services, and specialized apparel - reached 133.4 billion yuan ($18.53 billion), which is expected to exceed 248.3 billion yuan in 2025, pushing the total market size to 1.44 trillion yuan, China Media Group reported on Wednesday.

Consumption also reflects people's pursuit of a better life, and serves as a key driver of economic growth. Experts noted that the growing popularity of spring outings speaks of a growing consumer focus on the value of outdoor events.

"The rise in spring-related economic activity is largely demand-driven. In recent years, China's camping economy has expanded rapidly," Zhang Yi, CEO of the iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

According to the 2025 Government Work Report, vigorously boosting consumption and investment returns and stimulating domestic demand across the board was one of the key tasks.

"Currently, China's proactive fiscal policies and national efforts to create better leisure and shopping environment have helped enhance consumer convenience and encouraged spending," Zhang Yi said, noting that services consumption will be a major push for the broad economy.

"In 2024, China's per capita GDP exceeded $13,000. Internationally, once the per capita GDP surpasses $10,000, demand for service consumption will very likely accelerate," Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said at a press conference held by the third session of the 14th National People's Congress on March 6.

A noticeable trend is that Chinese consumers now prioritize experiences, including visiting visually appealing, entertaining, or unique dining locations, highlights a shift toward service-driven consumption, Wang said.

"However, compared to the rapidly growing and increasingly diversified public demand, cross-sector integrations in business, tourism, culture, sports, and health require continuous innovation and optimization," Wang said.

The Ministry of Commerce will encourage regions to leverage their local characteristics and cater to segmented consumer demands, promoting integrated development of new business models and innovating service consumption scenarios. "This will better cater to personalized, diverse, and high-quality consumer demands," said Wang.