Choose your own adventure

The market for high-end, bespoke services and itineraries among Chinese travelers is on the increase, Yang Feiyue reports.

Zhang Lin is still reminiscing about her trip to the Arctic. The Tianjin resident enjoyed a roughly two-week honeymoon with her husband in the region in July 2017.

"We wanted to go somewhere special, so it would be meaningful to us," Zhang says.

She booked the trip through Magic Travel, a bespoke tour operator that's part of the Beijing-based Utour Group.

"The trip was special and allowed us to explore the depths of the Arctic," Zhang says.

The couple was on a small cruise with fewer than 100 people. They were able to observe animals like polar bears, sea lions and walruses at close quarters, and enjoy hikes across the ice.

Polar experts were arranged to explain the science behind the locale's phenomenal natural and ecological conditions to the couple.

Zhang was particularly impressed by the special events that the agency had developed for them, including a unique barbecue party.

"It's creative and romantic to dine with people in front of an ice mountain," she says.

Although the trip cost the couple more than 150,000 yuan ($21,700), Zhang believed it was money well spent.

Rising incomes, better education and a longing for destinations off the beaten track have driven an increasing number of domestic travelers to seek specialized travel services, Magic Travel says in a report issued in May.

"Our bookings during the first four months of this year doubled compared with those for the same period last year," says Ma Wenting, general manager of the travel agency.

"The figures show an increasingly strong need for custom-made consumption and experience-based exploration."

Difficult-to-access travel spots featuring diverse natural landscapes, such as West Africa, Tahiti, the Galapagos islands, the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Amazon and the polar regions, appeal to high-end travelers, the report reveals.

They are also drawn to hot spots like Russia, Brazil, the United Kingdom and Spain, where popular events like the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics and the Premier League take place.

Some travel to better understand their children's future university prospects, to buy property or to undergo medical treatments.

Magic Travel currently has more than 5,000 members, most of whom value travel comfort, freedom and privacy.

About 85 percent of them were born in the 1960s and '70s, according to the agency's report.

However, those born in the '80s and '90s have shown a growing interest in niche tourism.

"They pursue outbound destinations that go viral online or are favored by celebrities," Ma says.

They prefer traveling with a small group of usually fewer than five people and enjoy activities such as rafting, cycling and gliding, as well as more sedate pursuits like art and cooking lessons.

"These programs help them to better blend in with local culture and enrich their life experiences," Ma explains.

More than 95 percent of those tourists travel for periods of around 10 days, while about 30 percent show a desire to take longer trips - more than half a month in some cases - the agency reports.

Slower-paced skiing experiences in Japan's Hokkaido, France and Switzerland have continued to attract high-rolling travelers over the years.

In 2018, Chinese online travel agency Ctrip recorded that luxurious customized-trip bookings surged by 180 percent over the previous year, according to a report jointly conducted by the company and the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute.

The demand from travelers based in second-and third-tier cities has surpassed their first-tier counterparts, the report says.

The report put the number of Chinese travelers taking high-end trips at 1.67 million in 2018.

Bookings for those kinds of trips have more than doubled from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, says He Yi, a senior official with Ctrip's customized-tourism operations.

"About 80 percent of them have travel plans all the time, and 95 percent go abroad at least twice annually," He says.

Per capita consumption of Ctrip's customized trips reached 23,800 yuan, as opposed to 5,500 yuan for garden-variety products.

The customized-luxury travel market should be worth nearly 100 billion yuan, He adds.

Li Jing has been a specialized tour guide since 2011.

"Many of my customers are either private business owners or are retired, and they generally have good educational backgrounds," the 39-year-old guide says.

Li says that his customer numbers have grown by 10 to 15 percent annually.

The key is to spare them as much trouble as possible during a trip, and ensure seamless hotel and transportation arrangements, he adds.

"We take them to experience local specialties and visit scenic spots of their choosing," Li says.

Zhang is now planning her trip to the Antarctic.

"I've been taking care of my little baby these last few years, and would like to travel again and relax," Zhang says.

"Some people who traveled to the Arctic with me have been raving about the Antarctic, so I'd like to try it, too."

Contact the writer at yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Global 06/18/2019 page16)