The world's first international standard for camping tourism has been released, with China taking the lead in formulating it

Recently, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) officially released the international standard "Requirements and Recommendations for Camping and Tourism Campsite Facilities and Services". This is the world's first international standard in the field of camping tourism, and also the first international standard developed by China in the tourism accommodation industry.

This standard does not only specify what facilities should be provided in campsites, but also establishes universal norms for reference by various countries from multiple dimensions such as facilities, services, management, safety, and sustainability. According to the drafting team, the standard mainly presents five highlights: firstly, it covers various scenarios such as tent camping, RV camping, and camping houses; Secondly, highlight the integrity of facilities and services, and standardize the layout of campsites, sanitation facilities, drinking water supply, and other aspects; The third is to emphasize safety and emergency support, incorporating safety, security, and emergency management into basic requirements; The fourth is to attach importance to green and sustainable operation, pay attention to waste management, resource utilization, and environmental friendliness; The fifth is to demonstrate inclusiveness, taking into account the accessibility service environment, and responding to the diverse needs of parents, elderly, and disabled tourists.

The relevant person in charge of the National Tourism Standardization Technical Committee stated that the release of this standard has practical significance. Camping tourism is rapidly rising globally, and the introduction of standards has actively responded to the objective needs of the market, establishing common industry standards for different countries and regions. On the one hand, it guides camping sites to benchmark and regulate safety, ecological protection, and service quality, promoting industry upgrading. On the other hand, it provides a unified technical language for international camping industry exchanges and supports cross-border cooperation. The standards are led by the Chinese side, which also enhances China's voice and influence in the field of global tourism standardization.

The standard development process took over 4 years from proposal to publication. In March 2022, China officially submitted a standard proposal; In September of the same year, the project was approved as a pre research project. In June 2023, after review by the Tourism and Related Services Technical Committee of the International Organization for Standardization, an innovative mechanism was adopted where experts from China, Germany, and Argentina jointly served as project leaders, absorbing industry experience from different regions in Asia, Europe, and South America. During the development process, Chinese and foreign experts repeatedly consulted on issues such as scope of application, universality of technical indicators, and industrial differences among countries, and cumulatively studied and replied to 101 international revision opinions. In October 2024, the project was officially approved through voting with an approval rate of 88.9%, and ultimately gathered expert forces from 12 countries to complete the formulation.

The relevant person in charge of the Business Industry Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade introduced that in the process of standard preparation, China has transformed its rich market practices into service rules that can be used as references for other countries. The demand for camping tourism in China is diverse, including camping with one's own tent, RV camping, and vacation experiences with accommodation facilities provided by campsites. This provides a practical basis for identifying problems and verifying solutions in the development of standards.

The industry believes that this standard provides a benchmark for the development of camping sites both domestically and internationally. The key to implementation lies not in copying, but in transformation - prioritizing the development of inclusive and accessible services, green and sustainable operations, and refined emergency processes. Next, the industry will promote the promotion and implementation of standards, select different types of camps to carry out application pilot projects, establish a continuous evaluation mechanism, and form a virtuous cycle of mutual promotion between practice and standards.