Jilin holds car and RV rally

The 2017 China (Jilin) Automobile and RV Rally and Self-driving Tourism Carnival opened on June 22 at the Changchun Film Century City.

Nearly 300 racers, professional judges and journalists attended the opening ceremony of the events, jointly sponsored by Jilin Provincial Tourism Development Committee and the Chinese Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports.

Nearly 100 automobiles will compete in two categories for cars and RVs respectively on unclosed public roads at pre-set time and along pre-set course.

The race, which will last for six days, is a key component of the 2017 Jilin Summer Tourism Season. Participating vehicles will start from Changchun and drive 1,300 kilometers in a circle around east Jilin.

The race is aimed to promote the image and tourism resources of cities along the course which encompasses Changchun, Tonghua, Baishan, Changbai Mountain, Yanbian and Jilin.

Tourism products featuring Jilin’s wonderful ecological environment, colorful ethnic customs, fascinating water scenery, unique border views, revolutionary legacy and rich cultural heritages will be marketed in the process.

Zhan Guojun, Chairman of the Chinese Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports, said the growing interest of individuals and the government in promoting physical fitness have created increasing demand for auto races and many places in China are organizing auto races as a way to promote the tourism industry. Carnivals that combine auto sports, sports competition and themed tours are gaining popularity as a result.

The Jilin race has greatly contributed to the integration of the tourism and sports industries.

With the increase of private car ownerships and the rapid development of the tourism industry, self-driving tours, RV tourism and camp tourism have seen explosive growth as emerging ways of travelling, making it urgent for tourist cities to build bases for such trips.