Star trekking

To boldly go ...

He Qiongfeng, head of the Institute of Data Analysis, China Tourism Academy, says that the recently released travel guide can inspire destinations, scenic areas and tourism corporations to open up the niche market of sci-fi tourism, bringing more possibilities for the integration and innovation in the tourism industry.

"To develop sci-fi tourism, it's essential to integrate multiple subjects into it, ranging from science and technology to culture and art. Also, it's important to develop a variety of popular sci-fi tourism products with profound content, based on market research," he says.

In September, the 2021 China Sci-fi Industry Report revealed that, the total value of the industry in 2020 was over 55.1 billion yuan ($8.68 billion), of which sci-fi games accounted for about 87 percent.

He suggests that the tourism industry work with the producers of sci-fi video games, literature, TV series and movies to design themed products, noting that it's also a way to promote Chinese sci-fi culture.

"If the gap between tourists' expectation before travel and during trips is too big, they are likely to complain about their unpleasant experience, putting the reputation of scenic areas and destinations at stake," he says.

He suggests that destinations, scenic areas and tourism corporations avoid exaggerated promotion and focus more on the local culture, history and customs. They should also make a contingency plan in case there are complaints from tourists.