Young travellers are reshaping the tourism industry
The younger generation are reshaping traditional tourism as they pursue novel travel experiences, according to travel operators.
Travellers aged between 20 and 30 are becoming the new consumption power in the industry as they seek different ways to have fun on holiday, China's leading hospitality and tourism e-commerce platform Putike revealed based on its booking figures.
Traditional criteria such as delicious meals, good accommodation, nice photos and visits to tourist attractions can't satisfy their demand, while in-depth involvement, fun ways of travel, and going local are highlighted, said Chen Jinbo, founder of Putike.
A hospitality and tourism alliance has been established by Putike and leading companies in the industry to meet changing demands.
The industry is introducing AI tools to improve the quality of tour content and efficiency, said Chen.
The popularity of niche food destinations soared 133 percent recently with the May Day holiday just around the corner, according to travel review website Mafengwo.
Food has become the driving power of the travel market as an increasing number of young people are traveling just to taste local delicacies, bringing large crowds to non-traditional tourist destinations, it said.
During the May Day holiday, Tianshui and Liuzhou top the list of food destinations for their popular malatang, a street food, and luosifen noodle soup, according to Mafengwo.
The "blue tear" natural spectacle presented by vargula hilgendorfii, a marine invertebrate also known as the sea-firefly, has boosted the popularity of destinations such as Pingtan, an island resort in Fujian Province, by 166 percent based on holiday search figures.
The post-2000 generation has become the main force of the tourism market and account for 31 percent of total bookings for the holiday, according to China's global travel service provider Trip.com.
Novel experiences such as a Muay Thai class in Bangkok and a stargazing trip in China's rural areas are favorite choices.
Abroad, more Chinese travelers are hiring local guides to take trips such as desert safari in Dubai, park strolls in Osaka and a food market visit in Kuala Lumpur, Trip.com said.
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