Trips with super-tight schedules popular among Chinese youth

Trips with super-tight schedules have gained popularity among young Chinese, with some "punching in" six scenic spots in a day, walking 100,000 steps on the weekend, and visiting three cities in the identical number of days.

They are called "tourist special troops" or "travel squads," as such a traveling style resembles intense "special forces" training.

A young woman in traditional Chinese clothing Hanfu tours on a boat in Xixi Wetland in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, April 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

Liu Meng, a young worker in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, arrived at the high-speed train station in the city after work on Friday, April 21. Over three hours later, she was in the Instagram-perfect city of Changsha in central China's Hunan Province.

"I wanted to visit Changsha on the weekend," Liu said, explaining that it's her first trip after she found a job.

Liu said she planned the trip on a whim, but visited several scenic spots in Changsha and tried the local snacks with her friends.

Liu was thinking of visiting Beijing and Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province next time, saying that she can arrange a similar schedule every week if someone joins her.

Similarly, Zhu Yuanyuan, a college student in Beijing, traveled to Qinhuangdao city in north China's Hebei Province on a weekend and visited six scenic areas in a day.

"Trips with busy schedules are suitable for college students. It's good to visit different places and try the local food," Zhu said.

However, Liu said it's better to choose lesser-known cities and scenic areas on such a trip. In the case of long lines, she suggested moving on to the next place to ensure an enjoyable travel experience.

"The travel squads are usually young people who pursue a fast-paced lifestyle. Most young people are busy studying or working, so they will ease their pressure by traveling in their spare time," said commentator Zhang Xuefeng.

Around April 5, which marks the Qingming Festival, 62 percent of the post-2000 travelers took overnight transportation, with 30 percent of them visiting more than four tourist spots in a day, data from online travel platform Tongcheng Travel showed.

Trips with super-tight schedules have become popular among young Chinese because they have changed their lifestyles to balance travel and work, said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. Tourist destinations have intensified promotion efforts, rolled out a wider range of tourism products, and provided more consumption options.

Experts pointed out that the popularity of the traveling style can also be attributed to the rapid development of China's high-speed trains, which makes medium- and short-distance trips possible, as well as the country's internet technologies, which make online bookings of tourism products, including air tickets, hotels and tickets of scenic spots, more convenient.

Noting that such a traveling style may be too hectic to truly experience and enjoy a city, Dai suggested that the travel squads take time to experience local customs, history, culture, and lifestyle.