Xinhua News Agency, Lanzhou, May 21 (Reporter Zhang Wenjing, Ren Yanxin, Luo Fei) In May, China's tourism market has warmed up again. Not only young people are enthusiastic about traveling, but also "silver haired people" have joined in.
In the past two months, Yao Feng, 63, and his wife have "clocked in" in more than 10 cities in China. Starting from Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, they traveled southward through Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong and Hong Kong, with a total journey of more than 20000 kilometers.
In the World Devil City Scenic Spot in Wuerhe District, Karamay, Xinjiang, motorists gallop along the self driving route (photo taken on May 1, UAV). Photographed by Ding Lei, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency
Since retirement, tourism has become the daily life of the old couple. They plan their itinerary independently. They don't need their children to accompany them, and they can enjoy retirement life.
Yao Feng said, "We have free time and full of energy. We didn't see the great rivers and mountains when we were young. Now we hope to make up for our regret."
With the expansion of China's elderly population, the "silver tourism" industry shows great growth potential. According to the 2023 Silver Hair Travel Behavior Insight released by Ctrip, the number of people over 55 years old traveling has nearly tripled year on year.
Professor Mao Jinhuang, vice president of the School of Economics of Lanzhou University, believes that the consumption concept of the elderly in China is undergoing a major change, a potential tourism market is growing rapidly, and contains new industrial opportunities.
In fact, with the improvement of China's social security system and tourism infrastructure, and the design and innovation of more accurate tourism supply products for the characteristics of the elderly, more and more elderly people are "more willing" and "more convenient" to explore their "poetry and distance".
Zhang Yongde, the general manager of Golden Mango International Travel Agency in Jiayuguan, Gansu, said that group tours were still the preferred way for "silver haired people" to travel. Older tourists accounted for more than 60% of their total group tour customers. "They prefer places with natural scenery, historical sites, and ethnic customs, and require an easy and lively journey".
This is a corner of Jiayuguan Pass Scenic Area (UAV photo) taken on March 14. Photographed by Zhang Zhimin, reporter of Xinhua News Agency
The reporter learned from the interview that most of the travel orders of Chinese "silver haired people" are made for their children, and they tend to allow the elders to enjoy high-quality group travel services and products under a higher budget.
Zhang Xinghong, a young white-collar worker working in Beijing, relied on the travel agency to customize a 21 day trip to the southeast coast for her parents. The total cost of this trip is expected to exceed 10000 yuan, which is borne by Zhang Xinghong. He thinks it is worth the money. "This season, the climate in coastal areas is suitable, and fruits and seafood are also very cheap.".
"I work outside all year round and can't accompany my family. I hope they can fully relax and feel happy during the journey," said Zhang Xinghong.
Driven by demand, new scenes and new business forms of China's "silver haired" tourism market continue to emerge. In recent years, whether you are going to the countryside to enjoy pastoral life or to the seaside to experience the warm climate, the "migratory bird style" residence lasting for one to several months is becoming the preferred slow travel resort for elderly tourists.
"At our age, we prefer to walk slowly, look slowly, and feel different lives in different places." Liu Lei, 68, has just rented a home stay in the countryside around Guangzhou for a month, spending about 5000 yuan. This week, he was planning a trip to Xinjiang in June, this time with a budget of 12000 yuan.
According to the data of China Tourism Research Institute, it is estimated that by the end of the "14th Five Year Plan", the number of healthy young elderly people with high travel rate and high tourism consumption in China will exceed 100 million, and the tourism income of the elderly is expected to exceed trillion yuan.
The "silver tourism" craze has released the consumption potential of elderly tourism products and services to a certain extent, which has a broad market prospect and also puts forward higher requirements for travel agencies. Practitioners in the tourism industry are continuing to "update" targeted products and services, and actively welcome changes and opportunities.
On May 8, passengers boarded the "Panda Train" and entered the private room. Photographed by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Xu
A few days ago, 70 year old Yang Yanliang and his wife set out from Guiyang, Guizhou Province, and spent 8 days and 7 nights full of exotic customs in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, Vientiane, Vang Vieng, Laos and other places by train while walking and playing.
The special tourist train they took was called "Panda Train", and it was a high-end boutique tourist train operated by China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd. The special train is equipped with experienced guides and on-board doctors to meet the needs of passengers to the greatest extent.
Chen Nuan, manager of Southwest Railway International Travel Agency of Chengdu Railway International Business Travel Group Co., Ltd., who is responsible for the operation of the "Panda Train", said that the "Panda Train" is fast, convenient, safe, comfortable, and has a wide range of impacts. It is very popular among passengers, especially among the elderly.
"More than 200 passengers took the special train to Laos this time, of which the elderly accounted for more than 80%." Chen Nuan said that developing more diversified silver hair tourism projects is not only the demand of tourism market development, but also a useful measure to advocate respect for the elderly.
Mao Jinhuang said that the growing travel demand of China's "silver haired people" has put forward higher requirements for the tourism market. He suggested that efforts should be made to upgrade the aging facilities in the scenic spot and improve the tourism insurance for the elderly, which will further promote the expansion and upgrading of the elderly tourism industry and improve the quality of life of the elderly.
