A growing upper class in China is poised to be the next key market for growth in international hunting. At the November 2019 Convention and AGM of the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA), safari operators learned about the expanding interest in hunting among the Chinese during a presentation from Jerry Li, CEO and founder of the new China Hunting Show.
According to Li there is a growing segment of Chinese who actively hunt in China and now dream of hunting elsewhere. This growing interest led Li to launch the China Hunting Show in 2019, the first international hunting show held in China. He invited PHASA members to join him for the show taking place in March 2020 in Shanghai, China.
Despite tight government controls on firearms and shooting activities, hunting and the shooting sports have become a growing interest among well-off Chinese citizens who are joining government –approved hunting clubs. Hunting opportunities in China are restricted to properties called hunting farms, which must be registered with the government.
Li says there are 180 registered hunting farms throughout 21 of China’s 26 provinces. Local club memberships can run up to 13 000 members. Hunting is mostly for wild boar, with licenses issued by the local governments of each province.
Who are these hunters? According to Li they are successful upper-middle to upper class professionals. “Chinese hunters are very wealthy,” he says. “They are the kind of people who do business through private banks and have lots of investments.”
These hunters do not come from the long and established hunting cultures typically found among hunters in North America, Europe, Africa and other destinations. This market is at an early stage of development , but participants have a heightened interest in all things hunting, including traveling to go hunting and pursuing a variety of species.
Many developing Chinese hunters are eager to create trophy rooms like those they have seen in books, but they don’t’ quite know how to go about doing it. That offers international hunting companies a unique opportunity to educate and mold a growing hunting community.
“Chinese hunters trust outfitters from outside of China and they want to travel and hunt, “ Li told PHASA’s safari operator members.
The first show took place in 2019, with outfitters from southern Africa, New Zealand and Canada among the international exhibitors. Jumbo Moore of Chapungu- Kambako Safaris exhibited at the 2019 China Hunting Show and says there is great opportunity in China as a developing market, but operators dealing with Chines hunters must be prepared to educate their clients. Chinese hunters are eager to experience different species, but they are not yet accustomed to the selective nature of trophy hunting.
“Many of the just want to experience the bush and pursue whatever they may come across,” he says. “ They are enthusiastic but need guidance in developing their hunting skills and understanding.” Moore says that while there are some more experienced Chinese hunters, many Chinese clients would benefit from starting out with cull hunts first and then being guided to more selective forms of hunting.
Li describes the China Hunting Show as an “international platforms” to communicate, serve and do business with China’s growing hunting industry. The show includes international hunting grounds, hunting products, associations and organizations, hunters and hunting agencies. He say the goal of the show is to promote and create commercial opportunities for the Chinese hunting industry as well as strengthen communication and cooperation with the international hunting industry.
“We welcome partners from all around the world,” he says. “Our goal is to develop the emerging Chinese hunting market, spread the hunting culture in China and create business value for the developing industry in China.”
For more information on the China Hunting Show, check out the website at www.chinahuntingshow.org.cn Li can be reached at jerryli@chinahuntingshow.org.cn.
