Have zest, will travel

Tourism industry experts said travel demand will continue to rise to such levels the industry could emerge as one of the important drivers of the Chinese economy in the next five years.

Small wonder, Chinese travel agencies, flush with a successful Golden Week, are rolling up their sleeves to offer imaginatively conceptualized travel products for the approaching winter season.

Caissa said its winter travel products would focus on warm destinations such as Zhejiang, Hainan, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces.

Its tours will be themed on food, recreational vehicles or RVs, sports, and research and study trips. The firm will also introduce high-quality packages tailored for students and the elderly group.

Caissa said it will improve the quality of its travel products to make the most of the expected boom in domestic tourism.

Liang Qiulan, a research analyst of the LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider, said, "With effective epidemic-prevention measures, China's work and life have pretty much returned to normal. But, COVID-19 has not yet been effectively controlled overseas. This situation has expanded domestic demand, and it will prove to be important for China's economic recovery and future growth."

That is not an exaggeration as leisure trips have become something of a trend for Chinese travelers.

According to Trip.com Group, China's largest online travel agency, activities like driving luxury cars and RVs, aerial photography using drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), flights in hot air balloons, mini helicopters, two-seater aircraft, outdoor hiking, paragliding, and diving, are becoming popular.

During the weeklong break in early October, the number of tourists who rented cars for self-driving trips and who registered for small-scale private group tours on Trip.com Group surged 50 percent and 100 percent year-on-year, respectively. Trip.com, however, did not disclose the actual figures.

The growth rates indicate people's penchant for more personalized and distinctive experiences, Trip.com said.

Agreed Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. "Chinese tourists are increasingly seeking individualized experiences. Unlike in the past, they are more willing to slow down their pace and take in-depth trips with certain themes, encouraged by their growing spending power and evolving tastes."

A report by consulting firm McKinsey& Co said while the path of the travel and tourism recovery will vary by market, China's distinct experience may hold lessons for other countries.

For, in China, COVID-19 transmission rates are low and traveler confidence has recovered quickly.