Creating New Demand for Wood Building Applications
China’s rapidly growing tourism industry is becoming a significant part of the economy. In 2018, the tourism sector’s contribution to China’s GDP was CAD $1.92 trillion, more than 11% of the total GDP. This is due in part to a strategy put in place by the Chinese government, which aims to restore rural ecologies and diversify the local economy by creating jobs and retaining local workers. This national initiative has led to the explosive growth of domestic travel, associated with cultural and health experiences.
The objective of the Non-Residential Campaign for Canada Wood China is focused on resort style buildings across industry segments with substantial growth potential, which includes Culture, Tourism, Wellness and Elderly-care. These areas are beneficiaries of the drive to improve social services and develop economic activity, particularly in rural areas.
Area of Interests
Resorts, rental units and leisure facilities are now all in high demand. According to 2020 public data, 57% of China’s top 100 real estate enterprises have entered the culture/tourism sectors in some way.
Areas of interest for wood construction include public facilities, lakeside or mountain retreats, and“ urban escape” properties within a half-day drive
of major cities based in the Bohai Rim, Yangtze River delta, and high growth regions such as Hubei, Sichuan, and Chongqing. Almost 60 percent of current tourism development is in private vacation homes in resort areas, and nearly 30 percent is in rental accommodations such as hotels, motels, shared facilities, and separate rental units.
Our Approaches
In order to advance market development in the resort segment, Canada Wood China developed marketing materials and carried out promotional campaigns aiming to influence and convert developers toward building with wood.
Key programs include Awareness building through seminars and workshops, Inbound missions, to Inspire developers and designers and strengthen their confidence about choosing wood construction for their projects, Technical exchanges to present Canadian best practices to Chinese partners and annual conference and wood design awards to recognized market champions and promote signature projects
China Wood Design Awards
There is a growing number of high-end projects that show that the industry’s capabilities have developed, with broader implementation of engineered wood, mass timber and hybrid structures being used. The China Wood Construction Awards was launched by Canada Wood China to highlight signature projects, and praise industry champions that are paving the way for design and innovation in wood buildings. The program is positioned as a prominent industry award, with ongoing efforts to grow the prestige of the program by working with local partners and engaging high-profile representatives for the selection committee. Promoting localized projects in China goes a long way to inspire new companies on the feasibility to pursue similar projects.
To view the winning project of the 2020 awards, please click here
