2018year,THULEwillapproach product development more rationally and earnestly, leveraging our strengths to create better products.
2018year we believe the overall market is likely to move in a more positive direction, as over the past16year17year, our industry has faced a relatively downturned period. Although sales have maintained modest growth, profits have taken a hit. As a result, competition within the industry has revolved around pricing, compounded by challenges from e-commerce and new retail models. Essentially, core purchasing decisions based on product and brand value have been overly influenced by price.
2018We still advocate that the entire industry should develop products more rationally and earnestly, focusing on each company’s unique strengths to create better offerings.For the domestic self-drive tour market, we plan to place significant emphasis this year. This includes outdoor camping as well as outdoor sports. Within sports, for example, we’re talking about driving to great outdoor locations with bicycles to engage in cycling activities. In winter, we’ll organize self-drive tours related to skiing—such as plans to take enthusiasts to Xinjiang, where there's more natural snow, for skiing. When it comes to the automotive aspect, we aim to help people experience nature and the outdoors.
Currently, we sponsor various cycling events, such as those around Qinghai Lake, around Taihu Lake, around China, and numerous professional cycling races. Given the broad range of our products, we also support events like trail running, or car-related competitions—such as rally racing or off-road vehicle climbing contests.