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changing


tourism BUILDING FOR THE MODERN TRAVELLER


Tourism in China is changing. The middle classes are on the rise, bringing with them greater disposable incomes as well as a genuine interest in exploring their home territory. This is prompting a mini-boom in local tourism for communities and historically significant sites throughout the country. For Steven Ng, technical director for urban planning with Atkins in China, the masterplan has become a vital tool when establishing a tourism strategy that addresses these changing demands. “It’s a question of balance,” he says. “Visitors


increasingly expect authenticity in their travels. Any masterplan must bring out the best in a local space.” Ng points to the recently completed Xunliao


(Oceania Point) resort in the east of Shenzhen City, in southern China, which was designed around 16km of coastline: “It was planning gold – you could even compare it to the Gold Coast in Australia in aesthetic terms. Behind the resort are the mountains and padi fields, and within the delta the salt and fresh water meet.” In order to maximise the natural surrounding assets, the plan allows for sea views for 60 per cent of properties and mountain views for 30 per cent. “We consulted the nearby fishing communities and made the rivers a feature of the development,” Ng explains. “We even built a fishing village into the development based on traditional Chinese architecture.” Sometimes a resort’s existing assets will also work on a practical level. For example, mangroves are attractive indigenous flora but they also help to prevent coastal erosion and not stripping them turned out to be a sensible strategy for the Xunliao planners. Unobtrusive solutions such as these tend to be preferable.


Xunliao had to fulfil some requests for private spaces, so the plan clustered spots throughout to create public and private areas. “The gaps between the 16km stretch are long, which encourages people to stay in the public areas,”says Ng. Clustering does not always work, he adds, but in aesthetic terms it is “preferable to fences or barbed wire”. Harmonious solutions within the planning framework also needed to extend to transport. Road and air networks for Xunliao were enhanced.


“We looked at developing ferry links to


surrounding coastal cites such as Hong Kong and Macau to open it up as a destination,” says Ng. Tourism from within this huge country is not to


be underestimated. For example, this development, which was planned for 60,000 people, can survive on the local market alone and hotels are filling up with business conference travellers.


Developing destinations China’s vast size means that it’s possible to experience very different environments without ever leaving the country. For example, many northern- based Chinese people are keen to travel to warmer areas. Ng says that many Chinese people are very patriotic and keen to experience the highly individual corners of their fascinating country. Ng worked on a Chinese development called Xia Sha and points out that the local ethnic Keija culture ignited collective imaginations. Alongside the scores of professionals – the economists, tourism consultants, property development consultants, hotel specialists and golf course consultants – that worked on Xia Sha and developments like it, the team also engaged ethnically Keijan designers and planners for their specific knowledge.


16 km of


coastline will help to turn Xunliao in the Pearl River Delta into a prime destination for China’s growing internal


tourist trade.


“We wanted to preserve and celebrate the local diversity by developing land that didn’t have an impact on cultural heritage. After all, many of the community wanted to stay. What was important is that we didn’t just drop something into the area,” says Ng. As a consequence, circular buildings, which are integral to this ancient culture, were introduced into the development as a core attraction. Ng says that these celebrate the culture of sitting in a circle and eating with the family. China is becoming ever more affluent, he adds.


Its economy may still be evolving on the world stage, but this growing tourist infrastructure illustrates the country’s rapid growth. “We look at the whole natural resource of an


area and we plan our development to fit in with that,” says Richard Alvey, managing director of environmental planning with Atkins. “It’s vital to make sure that a tourism-based project has a sense of context, place and character.” In the highly competitive world of tourism it is not only responsible to take into account the local surroundings but it also makes good business sense. Creating a unique tourist identity is essential and can be of great importance to any developing economy.


27


Xunliao in China: a new tourism and resort destination that includes beaches, mangroves, padi fields and fishing villages.


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