Chinese social media influencers and their platforms have come under fire for reports of “wild rides” – or visits to offline places – after severe flooding killed seven tourists in Sichuan province.
On August 13, seven tourists died and eight were injured in a flash flood in a valley in Mengzhou in the southwest of the country.
Video footage of the disaster circulating online shows the creek’s water level rising rapidly, sweeping away many tourists in a matter of seconds.
On social media, many have expressed shock and sadness over the drowning. The state-run Global Times has criticized social media influencers for creating content promoting “wild travel destinations” without regard to public safety.
“Warning signs and mesh fences have been put up, and even security personnel have been sent to warn visitors, but these measures have been largely ineffective,” the article says.
The Sichuan Valley, known as the Longkaou, is actually a flood channel that is prone to floods and landslides. The area has only become known as a tourist attraction through social media advertising by influencers.
The concept of “wild travel” – or “yeyou” in Chinese, referring to trips to offline places like Longcaogou. – began to gain popularity in China in 2020.
Most wild travel destinations are becoming popular thanks to internet influencers who advertise them as “secret resorts” on social media like Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok and the Instagram-like Little Red Book. Places often go from little known to famous in a short period of time and are characterized by their closeness to nature.
At a time when traditional tourism is often disrupted due to Covid restrictions, “wild rides” serve as a convenient substitute for more traditional vacations, allowing city dwellers to enjoy nature on the outskirts of the city without making long trips or being exposed to large crowds.
The new travel craze also led to a boom in sales of outdoor equipment across the country. According to Hangzhou Daily, the Chinese travel equipment market grew from 7.71 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) to 16.8 billion yuan between 2014 and 2020. It rose to 29.9 billion yuan last year and is projected to reach 35.46 billion yuan this year.
But this is not the first time that the trend towards wild travel has led to loss of life. In 2020, the Duobi Valley flood in Enshi, Hubei province killed 13 people.
The deaths of tourists in Sichuan this month have led to fresh calls for more scrutiny of wild trips, including how they are promoted online and in the media.