Young Chinese drive boom in county tourism, digital nomad havens

Young Chinese are flocking to domestic rural counties and small cities for travel, drawn by scenic landscapes and unique experiences, tourism data shows.

This summer, cities like Dali, Pingtan, Rongcheng, Dunhuang and Yanji topped the list for young travelers. People aged 20 to 35 made up 70 percent of out-of-town visitors to counties and county-level cities.

In Huidong county, south China's Guangdong Province, visitors enjoyed low-altitude flights and water sports. Xunliao Bay in Huidong alone saw 700,000 tourist arrivals during the summer vacation.

Young people play frisbee in front of a youth library in Yucun Village of Anji County, Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

Young Chinese travelers are also fueling a surge in rural tourism, seeking cost-effective trips and meaningful experiences closer to home.

Counties within a three-hour drive of major urban centers like Beijing, Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are seeing a tourism boom, aided by improved transportation infrastructure.

In the first half of 2024, travel bookings to counties near Beijing saw significant increases compared to the same period last year. Yingxian county reported a 145 percent jump, while Guyang county and Harqin Left Wing Mongolian Autonomous County saw increases of 91.7 percent and 83.5 percent, respectively.

Counties and county-level cities are also becoming popular among China's growing number of digital nomads — professionals who work remotely. Many counties and small cities are adapting to cater to young people looking to blend travel, living, work and leisure.

Young travelers in China are increasingly opting for extended stays that combine cultural immersion, summer relaxation and skill development.

In the first half of 2024, bookings for Pingyao, an ancient city in north China's Shanxi Province, surged 129 percent year on year. Kaiping county in southeast China's Fujian Province experienced a 241 percent rise in travel reservations during the same period. Additionally, reviews for Pingtan Island, also in Fujian, saw a 139 percent year-on-year increase on Dianping, a service-focused e-commerce platform.