Where wealthy families frolic

Luxury travelers are willing to spend big bucks on trips with their kids. Yang Feiyue reports.

Affluent families travel with their children about twice a year on average and cite learning experiences for their kids as their main motivation, says a report by HHtravel, a luxury-tour operator affiliated with China's biggest online travel agency, Ctrip.

HHtravel's family clients' average spending per trip ranges from 80,000 yuan to 120,000 yuan ($11,728 to $17,593).

The Belt and Road Initiative has also made it easier for Chinese to travel, and families are taking advantage of the new opportunities, HHtravel's chief operating officer Guo Ming says.

Natural areas, cultural relics and elite schools, including the Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro (top), NASA's aviation center in the United States (center) and Disney parks are among the top destinations for Chinese families traveling abroad with their children. Photos Provided to China Daily

China and 46 countries and regions have liberalized visa requirements, and 19 offer visas on arrival to Chinese, the National Tourism Administration reports.

Over 40 percent of recent inquiries received by HHtravel have been about family tours for the summer, Guo says.

Wealthy parents tend to favor natural areas, cultural relics and elite schools as destinations for their kids.

Favorites of those heading abroad include Easter Island, African savannas, Disney parks, Ivy League schools and NASA's aviation center. These attractions are particularly preferred by parents planning to educate their children overseas, Guo explains.

Many wealthy kids are widely traveled.

They're the type to have likely watched a Broadway show in New York or an opera in Sydney. Some take equestrian classes at British estates.

They've also likely visited the likes of Oxford, Harvard and Yale, the British Museum, the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guo says.

Chile and Peru have become new hot spots for affluent Chinese families, who make long-haul journeys.

Chinese with US or Schengen visas can enjoy visa-free entry in both countries.

Many shops and restaurants in Peru support UnionPay and AliPay.

Families wander among the stone statues of Chile's Easter Island and ride the Belmond Hiram Bingham, which ranks among the world's most luxurious trains, to explore the ruins of Peru's Machu Picchu.

High-end family tours of the South American nations can feature archeology experts, who explain the history and folklore behind the heritage at such sites as a private museum in Peru's capital, Lima, and a pre-Columbian gallery in Chile.

Nearby Brazil's culture and landscapes are also an emerging draw for well-heeled Chinese families.

They come to enjoy Copacabana's white-sand beaches, Sugarloaf Mountain's cable car and the verdant Amazon Rainforest.

"(Amazon) activities can inspire children to admire nature and build character," Guo says.

Rich outdoors-adventure seekers also favor Africa.

They pile into all-terrain vehicles to watch gnu running in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve, and see elephants, lions and rhinos in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park.

They also enjoy the island paradise of Tanzania's Zanzibar. The Stone Town of Zanzibar blends the cultures of Africa, the Arab region, India and Europe.

Speaking of Europe, Switzerland is moving toward the top of wealthy families' itineraries because of its pristine nature and temperate climate.

They hike in Zermatt and ride trains over Jungfrau's mountains to see glaciers.

Alaska's glaciers, climate and wildlife are also popular among wealthy Chinese parents.

HHtravel offers a family package that includes visits to a native village, the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary and offshore rafting.

It also offers popular trips to Sri Lanka's Ceylon black tea plantations, where parents take children to pick leaves, watch processing and savor brews on the Nuwara Eliya Plateau. Affluent families also often visit the country's heritage sites, such as the Sigiriya Lion Rock and Galle Fort.

Japan appeals to families who seek luxury travel abroad but close to home.

They enjoy camping on the Miura Peninsula and visiting the Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise theme park.

The market for affluent family travel is set to boom with more sophisticated products and eased visa policies, Guo believes.

That's not to mention larger and wealthier families, as the second-child policy's effects continue to manifest and the economy grows in the coming years.

Contact the writer at yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/26/2017 page22)