Camping sector pitches up amid COVID scares

Environmental concern

But the camping boom also comes with problems such as environmental pollution, safety hazards and increased pressure on camping businesses.

Residents of Haiwozi town in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, told xinhuanet.com that a mass of tents could be seen at a local campsite on every weekend or holiday.

As a result, there was always trash left behind. Some campers even poured wastewater into the river.

"The concept of 'traceless camping' has yet to be popularized,"Shen Wei, a seasoned outdoor enthusiast from Chengdu, was quoted as saying by xinhuanet.com. "This concept requires campers to make plans in advance, choose a campground that is strong enough for camping activities, properly dispose of trash and minimize their effect on the environment.

"They should reduce the environmental effect of outdoor fires, take away leftovers and try not to use soap," Shen added.

The potential dangers of camping should also be on people's radar. For instance, many campers like to cook food on an open fire, which could pose a fire hazard.

Healthy growth

Camping-related businesses are also facing their share of problems, such as fast-changing consumer demands and the rising cost of raw materials for making tents, according to The Economic Observer.

Wang Jigang, founder of The Free Spirits Tents, told The Economic Observer that they are experiencing a severe lack of production capacity and that demand is outstripping supply by a wide margin. The problems are compounded by overly conservative market demand forecasts.

Song Yu, an assistant researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told xinhuanet.com that camping meets people's leisure needs, but the next step should be to regulate the sector to ensure its healthy development.

He suggested that regulators take action on unqualified campsite operators and strengthen the supervision of behaviors such as those that are harmful to the environment.

Campsite operators should provide emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers and improve the management and maintenance of the grounds, Song said.