“Disappearing” young tourists
If you are visiting some of China’s traditional tourism hotspots, you might have noticed that young Chinese have made less of the scene in those places. You are also not alone to think that a press of a shutter in front of landmarks is a rather old-fashioned tourist experience endorsed, mainly, by the pre-90s generation. So, where has China’s Gen Z cohort gone for travel? And what has their tourist experience been like?
Xiaohongshu reveals the new tourism driven by the young
Niche, coldplay and spiritual tourism are the short answer. These emerging trends have been spelt out in a short film titled the New Way We See China, produced by Xiaohongshu, China’s lifestyle sharing social media which is popular among young people.
The two-minute video is a fruit of the collaboration between Xiaohongshu and China National Geography, a Chinese monthly magazine generally covering the country’s geography, history and culture.
Young Chinese tourists today are redefining tourism with more personality and, what might be deemed as “madness”.
Released on the eve of China’s National Day, also known as the Golden Week for tourism, the video is part of Xiaohongshu’s campaign targeting users yearning to make the most use of the seven-day holiday for some “unusual” experiences.
Whether it is flying a kite on the Han costume while skateboarding in front of a traditional palace in Zhejiang or jumping into the East Lake in Hubei to sign off for the summer, young Chinese tourists today are redefining tourism with more personality and, what might be deemed as “madness”.
Be part of the scene
While the guochao trend has been the inspiration for these innovations, the national wave sees China’s Gen Z embrace their cultural roots whilst injecting modern cues into traditions. Voluntourism, in the meantime, appears to be gaining a foothold in one of China’s most lucrative markets. A growing interest has been shown to cause-related experiences, such as litter picking at the Tibetan plateau in Qinghai province, where the huge open-air trash pit has been the biggest threat posed by irresponsible tourist behaviour.
Read More at https://daoinsights.com/works/how-are-young-tourists-reforming-chinas-tourism-industry/
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