- 22 years of development planning and construction management for tourist resorts -
I. Analysis of spa market demand and industry trends
Core changes in client structure and needs (vs prior periods):
In 2025, 42 per cent of young people (ages 18-35) and 28 per cent of silver-haired people (age 55+) increased by 5 percentage points and 3 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2024, while the share of family tours fell to 25 per cent, with the market being fragmented
Basic demand has dropped to 30 per cent, rehabilitation, cultural immersion and social recreation have increased to 28 per cent, 22 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively, and users have significantly increased the functional, experiential and cultural requirements of the landscape。
2. Core changes in consumption and business patterns (vs prior periods):
(b) demand for inner cores: from a “single bubble function” to the compound value of “spa + healing/research/micro vacation/community”, emotional + health + social integration
Business cycle: from “seasonal operations” to “seasonal full-time operations”
Type of project: move from “incremental construction” to “stock upgrading”, where the original site of the hot spring is suitable and low-cost upgrading becomes a core requirement。
3. Trends in industrial policy and direction:
Green development orientation: the “xivv” culture and tourism development plan, which provides for a strong development of recreational tourism and leisure tourism (e. G. “promoting the integration of business practices such as `tourism + rehabilitation' `tourism + rural revitalization'), provides a macro-direction for the development of hot spring landscape projects。
Integration of the civil brigade(a) policies: local support for business practices such as spa+culture+rehabilitation needs to be increased, and landscape design needs to enhance visual expression of local culture
Standardisation construction: star classification and assessment of spring tourism enterprises, lb/t 016-2017, with landscape privacy, maintenance configuration, low-carbon facilities, accessibility subdivisions. The 2025 revision is currently in the process of development and drafting, with the addition of a core of official disclosures: the main changes relate to artificial intelligence, energy efficiency reduction, water quality sanitation, and resting, pro-child studies, circular economy, etc。
Ii. The trajectories: designing new directions for future-oriented hot spring experiences
1. Questions based on the above population, demand and changing operating patterns:
1. 1 the complex design of hot springs and water parks (full-time operation) can be operated over four seasons, with full crowd coverage, taking into account all-age passenger flows such as well-being, parenthood, youth, and high-ends, increasing passenger traffic and repurchase, and significantly increasing passenger traffic and revenue. (c) dynamic zones, shared resources, reduced investment costs, increased utilization of sites and facilities, combined experience of daytime water + night fallout, more competitive and risk-resistant。
1. 2 increased complex experiences in hot springs:
A. Rehab landscape core: five sensibility + aging + safe accessibility
B. Cultural immersion at the heart of the landscape: deep-seated culture + landscape narrative (planting culture or ip) + cardable experience
C. Social leisure landscape core: three-tier social scenes (designed according to the proportion and demand of open, semi-open and private scenes) + full-time season。
1. 3 additional requirements for landscape design for industry policy and star-scale hot spring assessment should be addressed:
A. The hot springs are accompanied by a separate pool area, private, aging-friendly and accessible facilities, and the regenerative plant configuration with core and subdivisions;
B. New green low-carbon rating sub-points, low impact development and resource cycle, with clear rating criteria for indigenous plant use, water-saving facilities, and tailwater reuse;
C. Add a new sub-item on local cultural integration, rejecting homogenization net red designs and requiring a deep integration of landscapes with local cultures and resources。
2. Guidelines for the evolution of specially designed hot springs:
2. 1 hard landscapes and materials design: for spa high-wet, high-sulphur environment selections, the pool is equipped with sulfur-resistant marseks, volcanic rocks, water-drived areas are covered with smoother bricks and granite, constructions are made with anti-conservation wood and aluminium wood; in 2026, main materials were used in the construction of the landscape from indigenous materials around the project, local materials and traditional processes were used to increase the rating of star-grade hot springs, to tighten control over preparation of smoothing, drainage, barrier-free standards and to improve the durability and safety of hard landscapes。
2. 2 special design for water protection and drainage: strict management of ponds and site water drainage, implementation of level i double water protection, anti-sulphur preservation, strengthening of angular angles, waterproofing of pipes and closed water testing; site use of drainage ditches, supported by ditches, 2 per cent of slopes protected against water recharge, designed with bubble vents; new rainwater recovery system in 2026 to build tailwater ecological treatment back to the landscape using techniques such as water preparation, rain garden, ecological barges, etc., to achieve water recycling and reduce damage to the site's primary ecology by hot spring projects
2. 3 specially designed lighting and nightscapes: following the principles of hot light protection from dizziness, safe no-dark angles, low-light contamination, sub-situation control, zone design lighting: (a) an atmosphere light in the bubble area, security lighting in the walkway area, emergency lighting throughout the area, additional nighttime interactive lighting, intelligent lighting in 2026, promotion of energy-efficient light, time-time control and light, taking into account nightscape effects, energy consumption and safety
2. 4 specially designed plant configuration: a sub-regional plant system with a core selection of wet-resistant, sulfur-resistant, non-venom-free, low-favoured, low-maintenance, aromatic, home-grown and home-grown areas, covering bubble-covered areas, private soup and soup complexes, recreational walk areas, coastal water ecology areas, logistically hidden areas; aromatic fragrances + therapeutic plants groups, 2026, ecologically low carbon, severely controlled invasive species, securing a four-season landscape balance, balancing healthy experiences with low-carbon maintenance requirements
2. 5 special design for accessibility and ageing: 100 per cent suitable for 2024 editions of the accessibility code, construction of an all-horizon barrier-free motion ring, equipped with resting chairs, emergency call facilities, high-quality and water-related areas with additional helpers, equipped with barrier-free sight systems to meet the needs of silver hair and travel experience for specific groups
2. 6 ai and digital technology-enabled smart hot spring landscape: building a safe, comfortable and personalized modern hot spring experience around the five main directions of intelligent experience, intelligent soup pools, digital landscapes, intellectual well-being and operational management, through intelligent temperature control, immersion, passivity, health monitoring and intelligent operation
2. 7 low-maintenance landscape design systems:
A. Low maintenance plants: native plants that are multi-year, infertile, less shearing, and resistant to pests and diseases, and reduce seasonal flower exchange and high-frequency cutting costs;
B. Hard and low quality maintenance: materials that are clean, dirty, corrosive, long-lived and reduce cleaning and maintenance costs;
C. Low maintenance of facilities: modular, reversible, resotable landscape facilities to reduce later replacement and maintenance costs。
