On December 28 Beijing time, the Bear Grylls Survival Academy (BGSA), founded by British adventurer Bear Grylls, officially announced its entry into China, authorizing the Chinese company HowToTrip to fully manage its market development in the country.
(Image 2. BGSA trial course) Image caption: BGSA courses in action around the world
Why Bear Grylls Survival Academy Chose HowToTrip
The Bear Grylls Survival Academy, which has gained massive popularity in developed Western markets, certainly wouldn’t miss out on the Chinese market. If joining Dragon TV’s reality show “Follow Bear Grylls: Survival in the Wild” was the first step in Bear’s China development plan, then bringing the Bear Grylls Survival Academy to China and rapidly expanding it is the ultimate goal of its strategic vision.
“The outdoor industry in China has been developing for over 20 years, with more than 100 million people participating in outdoor activities. However, whether in terms of awareness, skills, or equipment, things are still in an informal state. It wasn’t easy to find a quality Chinese partner until HowToTrip came into our view — a brand that advocates ‘turning high-end outdoor into a lifestyle.’ We’ve finally decided to officially launch the Bear Grylls Survival Academy in China!” said the head of the Bear Grylls Survival Academy UK headquarters: “At the core of the Bear Grylls Survival Academy is Bear’s aristocratic spirit. We promote the cultivation of courage, determination, selflessness, and optimism — the knightly spirit — while exploring the unknown world. This aligns perfectly with the cultural ethos that the young outdoor brand HowToTrip embodies. We believe HowToTrip has the capability to join us in leading the trend of high-end outdoor experiences in China.”
The arrival of the Bear Grylls Survival Academy brings China’s outdoor experiences to a whole new level
When discussing the promotion of the courses in China, Mr. Xu Zheng, CEO of HowToTrip, emphasized: “The high-end outdoor experience of the Bear Academy is absolutely not synonymous with extreme or high-altitude outdoor activities. High-end means using the most cutting-edge outdoor gear and skills to give you a five-star experience in the outdoors.” Xu Zheng requires his team to ensure the absolute authenticity of the Bear Academy’s British heritage in course design, including the introduction of original teaching materials, instruction by the original team, paired with top-tier Bear outdoor gear, to provide authentic Bear-style outdoor survival experiences for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels in China.
In courses soon to be launched nationwide in 2016 — such as “24-Hour Family,” “24-Hour Adult,” and “Five Days & Four Nights Adult Extreme” — participants will undergo rigorous Bear-style challenges. They’ll quickly learn a variety of survival skills featured in “Man vs. Wild,” including wilderness orienteering, food identification and foraging, shelter building, outdoor cooking, and wilderness self-rescue. This will create ideal conditions for cultivating China’s outdoor DNA.
Xu Zheng said: Through the Bear Grylls Survival Academy, HowToTrip aims to convey far more than just activities and skills — it’s about opening the door to the outdoors for hundreds of millions of Chinese who have yet to step into nature.