Bama develops into health, wellness tourism hub

Bama Yao autonomous county has been promoting its transformation from a destination for traditional sightseeing tours to a fully integrated health and wellness tourism hub, accelerating the construction of world-class tourist spots and boosting rural vitalization.

Bama's experiences offer vital cues for other counties and districts to benefit from and emulate, according to a local Hechi official at the second Hechi Tourism Development Conference.

Bama is known as a "world longevity hometown". In 2022, the county received 6.11 million visitors, with revenue from social tourism amounting to 6.39 billion yuan ($930 million). In the first quarter of this year, it is expected to receive welcome 2 million visitors, a year-on-year increase of 33.36 percent, resulting in social tourism spending of 1.98 billion yuan.

Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), the county has raised more than 2 billion yuan to implement a series of key projects, promoting its development as a comprehensive tourism demonstration zone.

The county has held a number of marquee events such as the China-ASEAN International Forum on Traditional Medicine and Health Tourism (Bama Forum), and the Bama Big Health and Drinking Water Industries Development Forum, enhancing both its domestic and international influence.

The county is focused on the integrated development of healthy food, health care, and traditional medicine.

Bama Cifu Lake. [Photo/Guangxi Daily]