CEGC Eco-Tour Shines A Spotlight on Harmonious Coexistence Between Jino Tribe And Tropical Rainforest While Championing Sustainability in Rural Areas

From Sept. 20 to 28, Ford CEGC held its 2024 Eco-tour in tropical Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province. This year, we invited nearly 100 guests, including media, KOLs, car owners, dealers, and investors for the “Elephant Journey: Rainforest and Asian Elephant Conservation Ecotourism Experience,” which was awarded the 2023 Ford CEGC Ecotourism Route Award. Additionally, this event marked the first time that we invited our dealers and investors to join a CSR experience, which enabled them to feel the impacts of our long-term CEGC project that champions environmental protection and sustainability in local communities across China.

During the journey, our guests were guided by members of the local Jino tribe, the 56th recognized ethnic group in Yunnan, China, for a 3-hour hike through the tropical rainforest. During the hike, the participants saw the Parashorea chinensis H. Wang up close. This tree is an important symbol of tropical rainforests in China, as its discovery put an end to the claim that China does not have any tropical rainforests.

After their hike through the rainforest, we asked the guests how they felt about the journey so far. Initially they said “tired” – and then they added that the experience has made them realize that Ford's concept of "wilderness" is not just about off-road vehicles, but also about a meaningful connection with nature, which experiences like ecotourism can bring to people. They felt this was an unforgettable activity that really delivered Ford’s new brand proposition of “Unleash Fun, Wild At Heart”.

Through three years of curating the "Ecotourism Route Awards," we have discovered that ecotourism can also create an important ecosystem that supports the livelihood of local communities, helping to preserve the local environment while also enhancing employment opportunities and income for locals.

In 2024, Ford CEGC boosted its focus on ecotourism and expanded its initiatives with the "Ecotourism Project Funding Program" to aid rural areas with abundant natural resources through ecotourism-based revitalization activities. Additionally, we aim to promote enjoyment of the wilderness while minimizing impacts on the natural environment. Our goal is to facilitate close encounters with and experiences in nature so that people can better understand, appreciate, and protect the natural world, and ultimately foster a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Throughout the years, Ford has been upholding its brand vision “to help build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams” while actively fulfilling its corporate social responsibility through a wide variety of public welfare initiatives. Since Ford CEGC launched in China 25 years ago, it has been proactive about responding to the needs and challenges of public welfare organizations as they develop, with the company continuously exploring and adjusting its methods of support. Moreover, with the CEGC Eco-Tour, Ford China aims to create greater impact so that more people will pay attention to the value and significance of eco-tourism and engage in it, which promotes rural revitalization while also contributing to sustainable development of the economy, society, and the environment.