High-speed rail: Trains connect China

In Hangzhou, travelers can walk or rent a bicycle to pedal around the banks of the beautiful West Lake and get a closer look at the lake's bridges. [Photo by Long Wei/for China Daily]

For people traveling from Beijing to East China areas such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, taking a high-speed train is more convenient than flying and the ticket prices are around 50 to 60 percent cheaper, especially during peak season, says Ma.

It takes nearly four hours to travel from Beijing to Nanjing by high-speed train and about two hours to fly, but you have to arrive at the airport one or two hours early to check in.

Travel agencies are offering an array of products to satisfy the growing market. The online travel agency Ctrip has 385 high-speed rail tour packages starting from Beijing, such as tour groups and independent travel. Popular destinations include Shandong, Tianjin, Henan and Shanxin.

Ma says young people and office workers like to travel on weekends and take two-or three-days trips. Older people prefer longer vacations, and families usually choose high-speed rail tour packages that range from two to six days.

"Tourism source markets and destinations are well connected by high-speed rail and accessible from all directions," says Zhang Hui, vice-president of Beijing Tourism Society.

"It's changing the spatial structure of tourism in China. Some destinations across regions are cooperating with each other. The tourism resources along one railway are often homogenized, so they have to develop innovative tour products to be more competitive."

Zhang says group tours used to be popular, but nowadays increasingly more individuals and families are traveling. As a result, hotels are becoming more focused on families and offering proper facilities and services.

"It's a challenge for travel agencies to adapt to the market, and develop two-or three-day itineraries," he says. "The local governments and travel agencies should figure out how to establish proper receptions, consultations and sightseeing systems."