Real and yet a blind box

Depart first, then plan. This new type of travel method adopted by young people today reflects the disconnect between tourism promotion and the ever-changing market demands.

1. Remove Filters, Return to Reality

The younger generation's travel no longer pursues famous mountains and rivers or internet celebrity attractions. Instead, they hope to receive more realistic and specific localized travel suggestions beyond advertisements. However, the tourism promotion of some attractions is either insufficiently rich or filled with "advertising" filters, failing to meet the young people's needs for real experiences. Young people search for others' real experiences and specific strategies in "travel advice posts." According to a Xiaohongshu report at the beginning of the year, "advice + travel" related notes have increased by 86268% year-on-year.

2. Trap Advertisements, Blind Box Experience

The traps of "compliant tourism" also exist. Some businesses attract customers to their stores by leaving comments on "advice-seeking posts." It is difficult for users to directly judge the authenticity. "Compliant tourism" is more like an unknown blind box. It can reveal hidden strategies, treasure attractions, and pit-avoiding strategies, but it may also reveal business promotions.

Trend 2, Reverse Tourism

Just don't like to join the crowd

Essentially, it is a trend that has emerged among young people to seek self-relaxation and mental healing. It reflects the transformation of the new generation's tourism needs and their pursuit of higher-quality tourism experiences.

1. Pursuing niche and unpopular destinations, exquisite and cost-effective yet with a sense of experience

Today's young people are more willing to explore unpopular and niche travel destinations. Young people with upgraded consumption concepts focus on being exquisite and cost-effective while also having a sense of experience. While pursuing quality, they pay more attention to cost-effectiveness. Reverse tourism helps avoid peak seasons, allowing them to enjoy a more relaxed and comfortable journey at a lower cost.

Compared to popular cities, many small towns with unique characteristics have made reverse travel a trend. According to Ctrip data, the average growth of county-level destinations is 36%, making them the fastest-growing group.

2. Maintaining Characteristics, Creating a Sense of Experience

Niche destinations also have limited tourist carrying capacity, which can lead to "disappointments." Therefore, while maintaining their unique characteristics, it is also necessary to create a comfortable experience and continuously improve tourism services in response to tourist needs to achieve sustainable income.

Trend 3, Destination Grass-Pulling Tour

Online and offline, a two-way rush

In destination grass-pulling tours, young people become interested in a destination because of shared posts on social media, and then explore and experience it, realizing the process from planting grass to pulling grass.

1. More important than having been there is having experienced it

"Destination grass-planting tours" have become a new favorite for many young travel enthusiasts, reflecting the redefinition of the meaning of travel by modern young people.

It is no longer just about "where I have been," but more about "what I have experienced, what I have learned, and who I have connected with." It encourages young people to explore the world with a more open mind and in a more in-depth way, thus gaining richer and more diverse life experiences.

At the beginning of the year, Tianshui, Gansu Province, gained popularity because of its mala tang, driving the tourism boom in Gansu. The TV series "My Altay" increased the search popularity of Altay, Xinjiang by more than 5 times, receiving 1.0502 million tourists and generating tourism revenue of 813 million yuan within a week, a year-on-year increase of 130.97%.

Trend 4, Special Forces-style Tourism

Concentration is the essence

Visiting as many attractions as possible in the shortest time and with the least amount of money. Focusing on "having been there" and "on the road," not seeking leisure and comfort, but only the essence.

1. High intensity, high efficiency, low cost

Special forces-style tourism is strongly related to college students. College students have limited travel funds but good physical fitness, which coincides with the group concept of "brave people enjoy the world first" on social networks.

Special forces-style tourism is actually a type of tourism for specific people at a specific stage. Its popularity is closely related to revenge tourism, but the love of exploring the world is a stronger driving force.

College students yearn to gain experience to broaden their horizons, which fits the characteristics of young people's acceptance of new things, courage to challenge themselves, enthusiasm, etc. Traveling can relieve academic and life pressure, and also make new friends, satisfying social needs.

Trend 5, Urban Exploration Tour

Be a street wanderer

Walking aimlessly in the city, breaking away from maps and signposts, focusing on "finding surprises".

1. Low cost, less time, full emotional value

City Walk has become an urban adventure activity integrating culture, art, commerce, and socializing. Businesses have created a series of eye-catching "check-in points," and local tourism bureaus have also actively responded by planning a series of official City Walk routes.

2. From City Walk to City Ride

The focus of urban rambling cycling is not on speed, but on being able to leisurely stroll through the city. It is a low-cost way to explore and experience the city in a fast-paced life, rediscovering the beauty of the city.

Participating in urban exploration tours gives young people another scene and opportunity to meet new friends, allowing them to lightly socialize without losing a sense of boundaries in the stranger society of modern cities.

On Xiaohongshu, the number of City Walk notes increased by 676% year-on-year compared to 2022. The popularity of cycling has driven growth in sales of related products, with data showing that road bike sales have increased by more than 180%.

Trend Six: Extreme Hiking Tours

Outdoor Natural Gym

It has become a new lifestyle fashion and health trend, meeting the needs of decompression, exercise, sightseeing, and socializing.

1. Mind and Body Relaxation, Self-Challenge

Short-distance hiking focuses on mind and body relaxation and appreciating natural scenery, while long-distance hiking is more challenging, exciting, and adventurous, considered a way to challenge oneself.

2. Lightweight Canyoning, Rail-Style Rock Climbing

Compared to hardcore professional canyoning, lightweight and friendly segment canyoning is more popular. Its accessibility, trendiness, social suitability, and photogenic nature are key reasons for its popularity. Rail-style climbing is also becoming a new choice for hiking enthusiasts. The unique feature of rail-style climbing is that it allows ordinary people to experience the thrill and fun of cliff exploration with the aid of professional equipment.

From January to October 2023, the number of views related to the topic of "outdoor hiking" exceeded 2.5 billion. This year, the year-on-year increase in "hiking" searches was nearly 100%, and the number of notes and guides increased by more than 190%. The search volume for keywords such as "one-day hiking" and "mountain hiking" increased by more than 400%. To date, the topic #canyoneering has received over 250 million views on Xiaohongshu.

Trend Seven: Suburban Micro-Vacations

Away from the City's Bustle

Young people who don't want to be trapped in the city's crowds during holidays have embarked on short trips away from the city and crowds.

1. Mind and Body Relaxation, Self-Challenge

For a deeper experience, they will also participate in local farming experiences, handicraft making, folk festivals, etc. Some young people stay in "youth nursing homes" to slow down their pace of life and relax. Destinations tend to be suburban areas that have not been over-developed, retaining their original natural landscape and simple folk customs, often reachable by a short drive.

2. Wildeat: Enjoying the Pristine

Some young people who want to "lie flat" choose to become "dining companions" with nature, eating on the spot in unfamiliar wilderness environments, enjoying free relaxation and the wild, pristine nature of Wildeat. This aligns with young people's pursuit of escaping work and recharging their batteries.

Ctrip data shows that during the Dragon Boat Festival this year, surrounding and local tours accounted for nearly 70% of holiday orders, with short-distance trips within the "2-hour high-speed rail circle" leading the trend. On Xiaohongshu, the number of Wildeat-related notes exceeds 10,000, and the number of views on Douyin exceeds 30 million.

Trend Eight: Healing Wanderings

Zen Healing Journey

It focuses on a slow-paced, Zen lifestyle, providing consumers with emotional support and comfort, offering emotional value while also having a certain de-stressing effect.

1. Personal Growth, Inner Healing

There are many types of healing travel programs, including mindfulness retreats, yoga retreats, art therapy, and meditation retreats. Although the forms vary, the core goal is to help people achieve physical and mental relaxation, personal growth, and inner healing, leading to a healthier and higher-quality life.

2. Various Prices, Different Needs

The price of healing travel varies depending on the positioning, duration, and services. There are free or low-cost public welfare meditation classes at local temples, weekend getaways for urban young people to de-stress, costing around 1,000 yuan and including transportation, accommodation, and various healing activities. There are also overseas healing tours for high-end groups, costing around 10,000 yuan, offering more diverse and refined experiences.

Trend Nine: Variety Show Social Travel

Creative Social Travel

This is a form of group travel for young people, with a wide variety of themes.

1. Themed Travel, Variety Show Gameplay

There are immersive script-killing themed trips, foodie tour groups, MBTI tour groups, trips themed around activities like skiing or frisbee, and even romance-themed trips. Variety show-style social travel will have photographers and directors, incorporating some of the gameplay of variety shows while integrating popular travel routes favored by young people.

2. Double Experience of Socialization and Travel

With friends of the same age, they can get photos that are as good as those of celebrities, and may even meet that special someone. In the various challenges and interactive sessions, they can more naturally express themselves and experience the excitement and fun of participating in a variety show.

Variety show-style social travel is high-quality group travel. Young people have a great need for finding travel companions, easily obtaining travel guides, and expanding their social circles. Therefore, they need high-quality group tours that better meet their needs.

Trend Ten: Immersive Travel

Going to a Place with Wind It emphasizes immersion rather than a cursory tour, experiencing the local lifestyle through interaction and communication with local residents.

Last year, the drama "To a Place with Wind" brought Dali back into the public eye. Shifting from the fast-paced city life to the leisurely life of a small town helps contemporary people relieve stress and find inner peace.

From January to April 2023, Dali received a total of 36.35 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 135%. Among them were not only short-term tourists but also those who experienced Dali's life more deeply.

1. Volunteer Travel, Digital Nomads

To reduce economic pressure, some young people choose to participate in volunteer travel activities, working in exchange for accommodation and participating in volunteer work at their travel destination. Digital nomads break the boundaries of traditional work models, but require higher education and professional backgrounds, strong earning ability, and language skills, making it a high-threshold travel method.

One-stop creation and upgrading of new scenes and experiences for tourism projects, to 2024 China (Zhengzhou) Tourism, Leisure and Entertainment Industry Expo 40 years of international quality, 500+ tourism equipment and creative service companies, from project planning, design, scene creation, amusement equipment procurement, construction to operation management, marketing, and secondary consumption industry integration, helping you to build and upgrade new tourism project scenes and experiences in a one-stop shop. Click here for details and free registration to visit the exhibition 。