Xiaozhaiba township rides tourism boom

The southwestern township of Xiaozhaiba has made great efforts to develop its local tourism industry, according to local official.

Xiaozhaiba township in Xifeng county in Guiyang, has further expanded its cultivation of grapes in tourist areas, aiming to develop local grape production and expand its farming culture.

The county has combined its grape industry with rural tourism and its elder care industry, trying integrated development that combines agriculture and tourism.

At present, Xiaozhaiba has planted more than 666.7 hectares of grapes, with other nearby townships followed the trend -- planting about 2,667 hectares in Liuchang, Luwo and Xishan townships.

Local officials said they are quite results-oriented in the development of tourism industry. They have built 15 so-called agritainments which can serve 1,370 tourists at the same time. Agritainments are farm-based entertainments including activities such as hayrides, pony rides, wine tasting, cornfield-maze contests, and harvest festivals.

There are 42 rural inns and hotels, with a total of 580 beds. In addition, seven new public toilets have been built. Some parts of the roads have been reconstructed in scenic areas and a tourism cultural square has been built.

In 2018, Xiaozhaiba town received 1.3 million tourists and it posted revenue of 910 million yuan ($129.1 million).

Local officials said as a result, Xiaozhaiba has paid great attention to promoting tourism.

The town hosts an annual Hongyan Grape Festival, which has been held 13 times.

Officials said that has led to a lot of fruit suppliers from other places such as Hunan, Chongqing and Guiyang coming to town and buying grapes there.