An increasing number of rural residents are showing a willingness to travel, a trend rooted in their growing financial capacity. In 2025, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in China reached 24,456 yuan, reflecting a real annual growth of 6%. The surge in outbound travel among rural populations highlights the narrowing income gap between urban and rural areas and the overall improvement in living standards.

Shifting from being "hosts" of rural tourism to "travelers" heading out, rural residents are undergoing a subtle transformation in consumption attitudes, which in turn drives sustained revenue growth in transportation, accommodation, and catering sectors. Whether it's visiting scenic spots or embarking on road trips, more rural residents are integrating tourism into their daily lives, enriching their quality of life and injecting fresh momentum into consumption and domestic demand expansion.

The rising desire to travel among farmers is significantly supported by an increasingly robust transportation infrastructure. In recent years, China's high-speed rail network has continued to expand, with the total mileage of rural roads reaching 4.7 million kilometers. All townships and villages with the necessary conditions now have access to bus services, and the rising penetration of automobiles in rural areas has made spontaneous travel more convenient than ever.

Activating the new growth drivers of rural tourism consumption requires coordinated efforts within the broader framework of urban-rural integrated development. The "15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Strong Tourism Country" proposes "promoting the two-way flow of tourists between urban and rural areas and leveraging complementary resource advantages." The mutual exchange of visitors—city dwellers heading to the countryside and rural residents venturing into cities—serves as a crucial strategy for dismantling the dual structure barriers through the bidirectional movement of urban and rural factors.

This two-way flow is reshaping the tourism landscape, with outbound travel from rural areas contributing to rural revitalization. Segmented tourism markets, including self-driving tours, study tours, and wellness trips, now offer rural residents a wide array of options. However, it is important to acknowledge that farmers still encounter challenges such as mismatched product supply and demand, as well as barriers related to information access and digital skills.

Going forward, efforts should be directed toward encouraging market operators to develop more tourism products tailored to farmers' needs, improving tourism consultation service outlets at the township level, and exploring the establishment of long-term mechanisms such as consumption subsidies and incentives for off-peak travel. Continuously enhancing the supply of adapted tourism products and public service guarantees for farmers is not only an effective means to accelerate the release of rural tourism consumption potential but also an essential requirement for solidifying the foundation of common prosperity.