Chapter 887 Rural Farmers
Those villages that have been developed into eco-tourism destinations not only have beautiful environments, but also have greatly increased the income of villagers. A fire of hope ignited in his heart. Xiangyang Village has rich natural resources, vast fields, clear rivers, and natural scenery that changes with the seasons. It is fully qualified to develop eco-tourism.
Qi Tongwei brought up this idea at a village meeting. At first, the villagers had mixed reactions. Some questioned, "Who would come to travel in this remote and poor village? Isn't this just a waste of time?" Others worried, "If we do tourism, it will cost a lot of money. Where will the money come from? What if we lose money?" Facing everyone's doubts and concerns, Qi Tongwei was well prepared. He patiently analyzed the market prospects for everyone, showed other successful cases of developing eco-tourism villages, and promised to try his best to obtain external investment and government support to reduce the risks of the villagers. After many communications and exchanges, the villagers were finally convinced by him and decided to try with him.
Qi Tongwei immediately started running around to seek support from all parties. He applied for special funds for rural tourism development from government departments and elaborated on the tourism planning and development potential of Xiangyang Village. At the same time, he actively contacted investment institutions and invited them to visit Xiangyang Village. In this process, he suffered countless rejections and cold eyes, but he never gave up. Finally, his efforts paid off. The government approved part of the funds, and an investment company also decided to invest in the ecotourism project of Xiangyang Village.
With the financial support, the project was officially launched. Qi Tongwei organized the villagers to carry out a comprehensive environmental improvement of the village, clean up the river, plant flowers and trees, and make the village more beautiful and livable. They also used the old houses in the village to transform a number of homestays with rural characteristics, so that tourists can experience the original rural life. In order to enrich the tourism projects, Qi Tongwei also led the villagers to develop agricultural experience activities, so that tourists can personally participate in planting, picking and other activities, and feel the fun of rural life.
As tourism facilities gradually improved, Xiangyang Village welcomed its first batch of tourists. At first, the number of tourists was not large, but Qi Tongwei was not discouraged. He vigorously promoted the eco-tourism resources of Xiangyang Village through online platforms, tourism exhibitions and other channels. Gradually, Xiangyang Village became more and more famous, and the number of tourists increased. During holidays, the village was bustling, and it was hard to find a room in the homestay. The villagers' agricultural products also became a favorite souvenir for tourists, and their income increased significantly.
However, with the development of the tourism industry, new problems have also followed. The influx of tourists has put tremendous pressure on the village's infrastructure. There are not enough public toilets in the village, and garbage disposal has become a problem. At the same time, some villagers, in pursuit of profit, have overcharged tourists and forced purchases, which has seriously affected Xiangyang Village's tourism image. Qi Tongwei realized that if these problems were not solved in time, the newly developed tourism industry would likely be destroyed.
He immediately organized a meeting of villagers to discuss the problems. At the meeting, Qi Tongwei said seriously: "We have finally developed the tourism industry, and we can't let these problems ruin our reputation. Everyone should understand that tourists are our bread and butter. Only by satisfying them can we have long-term development." He decided to increase investment in infrastructure, build a batch of new public toilets, and improve garbage disposal facilities. At the same time, he also formulated strict village rules and regulations to regulate the villagers' business behavior. Once any violation is found, it will be severely punished.
In order to improve the villagers' service awareness and management level, Qi Tongwei also invited tourism experts to the village for training. The experts systematically trained the villagers in etiquette reception, service skills, marketing, etc. After the training, the villagers' service level has been significantly improved, and the tourists' satisfaction has also been greatly improved.
In the process of developing eco-tourism, Qi Tongwei also pays attention to the protection and inheritance of traditional culture. He found that some traditional handicrafts in the village, such as paper cutting and weaving, have high artistic value and cultural connotation. So he organized the old artists in the village to set up a traditional handicraft cooperative to develop and sell these traditional handicraft products as tourist souvenirs. This not only enriches the types of tourism products, but also allows more people to understand and know the traditional culture of Xiangyang Village.
As Xiangyang Village's eco-tourism continues to develop, some surrounding villages have been inspired and followed suit. For a time, the rural tourism industry in the entire region showed a booming trend. However, this also brought about fierce market competition. In order to stand out from the competition, Qi Tongwei began to think about how to create a unique tourism brand for Xiangyang Village.
He deeply explored the history, culture and natural resources of Xiangyang Village and integrated the village's characteristic elements into tourism projects. He led the villagers to create a tourist route with the theme of "Rice Fragrance Memory". Tourists can follow this route to enjoy the golden rice fields, ancient water wheels, and taste food made from fresh rice. At the same time, he also held a series of cultural activities with local characteristics, such as the Rice Field Music Festival and the Folk Culture Festival, which attracted a large number of tourists to participate.
During this process, Qi Tongwei also faced the dual pressures of family and career. Due to his busy work, he had little time to spend with his family. Although his wife Xiaoli understood his work, she could not help but complain. He was often absent from the growth of his children. Every time he saw the eyes of his children longing for his company, Qi Tongwei felt full of guilt. But he knew that he was carrying the hope of the entire village, and between family and career, he could only temporarily choose career.
Once, the child was sick and hospitalized, and Qi Tongwei was attending a tourism promotion meeting in another place. After receiving a call from his wife, he was extremely anxious, but in order not to affect the effect of the promotion meeting, he could only suppress his worries and continue to complete his work. When he hurried back to the hospital, the child had fallen asleep. Looking at the child's pale face, Qi Tongwei couldn't help but shed tears. His wife looked at his tired appearance, and the complaints in her heart turned into heartache. She gently said: "Tongwei, I know it's not easy for you. We all support you. Don't be too tired." Qi Tongwei held his wife's hand tightly and said gratefully: "Thank you, Xiaoli. After this busy period, I will definitely spend more time with you."
Despite facing many difficulties and pressures, Qi Tongwei never forgot his original intention.