(Ecns.cn)-- According to a Travel Trendwatch released earlier this month by the China Tourism Academy, 58.3% of Chinese want to get out and travel far this holiday season. The number has increased 0.5 percentage points from last year.
Due in part to the rocketing plane ticket prices and the always unavailable train tickets, the usually hurried Chinese tourists are choosing semi-independent travel over group tours during this coming National Day holiday, also known as Golden Week in the country.
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Tibet, and Yunnan and Hainan provinces continue to be hot travel spots. Many tourists have booked 5 to 12 day trips to such travel destinations.
Not so rushed this vacation
As the longest vacation this year, the 7-day-holiday is to witness many more patient tourists. "It's more convenient to do a domestic tour than travel abroad, thus many want to have a more thorough tour within the country," explained Ge Lei, marketing manager of China Youth Travel Service (CYTS). "Scenic spots with cultural charms, in particular, are attractive to domestic tourists."
This is a notable change in Chinese tourism since most tourists have long favored the group tour. "Sleeping on the tour bus and smiling for the camera" is a feature of Chinese tourists, be it traveling at home or abroad. Due to such rushed arrangements scheduled by tour agencies, tourists often feel more exhausted after the holiday, which is supposed to be a time to relax and have fun.
Tired of the rushed pace of group tours, this year Chinese are getting more rational and patient in a sense. They are looking forward to spending more time in a single place, to have a thorough tour, and to fully understand the place they are visiting.
Sensing the opportunity, many travel agencies are fighting to promote their "thorough tour packages." GZL International Travel Service Ltd, for example, has developed many such overseas tour lines including the west coast tour of Vancouver. "This year we have arranged plenty of time for our clients to dive into the city. Many can even take the chance to visit their relatives there," says the agency's advertisement.
The trend has indicated a vigorous consuming will of Chinese tourists and breaks good news to the world. According to the Trendwatch, as many as 2.2 million Chinese will travel abroad in the coming National Day holiday with a forecasted expenditure of up to 2.1 billion US dollars.
Though cheered by the prosperous market, many agencies are warning those who plan to travel to unstable regions haunted by wars and chaos.
