Thousands of recreational vehicles were sold in China last year as self-driving excursions and camping gain popularity

Zeng Minping is such a huge fan of highway caravans that he took his wife across 28 countries to Europe in 2012.

"Caravan travel allows in-depth experiences and flexible schedules," says the 41-year-old from Guangdong province.

His love for caravaning has grown since he took his 4-year-old daughter across Russia and Poland to Germany in 2015.

"I wanted to travel with my daughter, since I did not take her with us the previous time," he says. And they ended up having an unforgettable time.

The family prepared food in their recreational vehicle for most of the trip, which made them feel at home. They also met lots of interesting and helpful residents along the way.

Zeng is one of the growing breed of travelers in China who have taken a shine to caravans. Approximately 8,000 RVs were sold in China last year, according to a report compiled by the China Tourism Automobile and Cruise Association and the Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The number of RV owners in China is now around 45,000, and Chinese drove themselves on 2.64 billion trips in 2016, up by 12.8 percent over the previous year, the report says. Currently, around 3,200 clubs are committed to self-driving tours.

Meanwhile, in Beijing, caravan campsites in city suburbs have become popular getaways for families and the outdoorsy crowd.

"We were fully booked during the Dragon Boat Festival," says Jiang Lili, the general manager of a Beijing caravan resort funded by China Travel Service (Hong Kong).

"Parents who bring their children, people who love themed tours and companies that hold team-building events are our main customers," Jiang said.

The resort in the northeastern Miyun district is a 1.5-hour drive from downtown. There are now around 30 RVs at the resort.

TV, Wi-Fi and air conditioners are available in the vehicles, some of which can house six people and cost about 1,500 yuan ($219) for weekends and holidays and 800 yuan during the offseason.

At the resort, guests can enjoy fruit-picking and fishing, in addition to barbecues and bonfire parties.

"We also have deals with many child-parent organizations and outdoor activity groups," Jiang said.

CTS HK purchased nearly 100 RVs from the United States - 30 for the Beijing resort and the rest for its Sichuan and Yunnan operations.

Meanwhile, the company is focusing on developing caravan networks and making things easier for caravan travelers.

"We believe that the RV rental market holds great potential, and that things could mature in three to five years," Jiang says.

Speaking of the charm of such trips, Jiang says it's like living in a home on wheels.

Also, while domestic travel typically lasts for one to two weeks, self-driving trips could last more than a month, Jiang says. Trips from Sichuan, Qinghai and Yunnan provinces to the Tibet autonomous region are very popular with RV travelers, she says.

As for outbound trips, driving from Yunnan across the border into Laos, Myanmar and Thailand is also popular.

Eleven Chinese government ministries and commissions, including the National Tourism Administration, jointly issued a series of policies to boost RV trips.

This has prompted industry players, including Jiang's company, to continue investing in the field.

In a related development, CTS HK has played a key part in hosting the annual All in Caravaning event since 2012. The event is an expo that brings together RV and component manufacturers and service providers worldwide in Beijing. It will take place June 23 to 25 this year.

The event has not only created business opportunities but also popularized the caravaning culture in China.

"There were not a lot of visitors at the first expo, and some who came out of curiosity had not even seen RVs," Jiang says.

But the number of visitors has been growing ever since, and audiences are increasingly knowledgeable. "Now they ask about fuel consumption and refitting," Jiang says.

Last year's event saw the number of visitors double over the previous year, according to Jiang. And many have traveled through the United States, New Zealand and Germany on wheels, she added.

For Zeng, sharing his caravaning experience is also part of the fun. He has written an online travelogue that has received more than 8 million views.

For the future, Zeng is throwing his hat in the ring to be a caravaning ambassador.

"I'd like to share my travel experiences with more people and help them better understand caravans," he says.

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(China Daily European Weekly 06/09/2017 page19)