Discussion keeps the worldturning.
This isRoundtable. Helloeverybody, welcome toRoundtable.
Coming to you live fromBeijing, I amHayoung, and good as always to have you withus.
On a day'sshow, as the weather warms at a few public holidaysapproach, including the upcoming long weekend for the Duang WuFestival, known as the Dragon BoatFestival, people are eagerly planning their vacations and preparing theiritineraries.
Today we dive into the new trends intourism.
And we are on a mission of starting your week with a motivationalkick.
Our motivational Monday offerings will get you ready to tackle theweekend, ofcourse.
I've handpicked a song for you toenjoy.
For today'sprogram, I'm joined by Yushun and Brandon Yates in thestudio, first on a day'sshow.
This May 19th marks the 14th China TourismDay, and this year's festivities span six cities and emphasize diverse themes from food toexploration.
Notable trends include the rise of art and culturalexperiences, short distancetravel, small group tours to name afew.
And I'm going to go toyou,Yushun,first, what hot new trends in tourism cut youreye.
Ohyeah, actually there are so many new trendsrecently.
One is small grouptours, which I think are popular because they involve fewer people and have a stronger socialaspect.
Andalso, people are not always confined to big cities like Beijing and Shanghainow.
They also enjoy visiting smaller cities where there are fewercrowds, Ithink.
So ingeneral, it seems that people are leaning towards a more personal and refined style oftraveling.
Right, and there are a few trends that I know you want to getinto.
But if I may saythis, I don't mean to pick a bone out of yourargument.
But small grouptours, it doesn't soundlike, youknow, jawdropping,super, youknow, new thing in myopinion.
But apparently it has something to do with gathering people or attracting people together in these very small groups due tointerest.
So it's a different way that's what thesedays.
I think it can be a little bit new in a sensethough, because I know when I have been to various tourism destinations aroundBeijing, particularly with the elderlygenerations, they seem to travel in massivegroups.
Like hundreds ofpeople, literallyhundreds,yeah, within one tourgroup.
And I think that youngerpeople, I wouldassume, generally prefer that more intimate way oftouring, whether it's domestic or going around thecut, like within their owncity, Imean, or going around thecountry.
Because Ithink,yeah, like yousaid, the social element and just having a more personalizedexperience, I think there's something that'sappealing, particularly for youngpeople, Iguess, that are looking for something that ismore...
individualized rather than likemainstream.
I think I've been to some of these small group touringthings, especiallyfor, youknow, when I would like to go for some hikingactivities.
We sign up for this little group and a group ofpeople, they don't actually require you to doanything, but you canjust...
they will sendyou. Like basically plan a bus for youto,like, basically take you to that destination and then you can just goreally.
That's been my experiencetoo, when I've done tours aroundBeijing, you go in a group of15, 20people, and then when you getthere, they kind of explain what you can and can't do or what you shouldsee.
And then they kind of let you do your ownthing, but then you normally have to meet at certain points at a certaintime.
But they do give you the freedom to kind of do your ownthing, but just on hiking aswell, definitely never hikealone,guys, because I've had some terrible experiences hikingalone.
It is verytempting, but safetyfirst, it's good to hear that you were hiking in a groupsetting.
Yeah, just at onepoint, it's just when you've got the daredevils who want to go off the beatenpath, and that's when things become a little bit riskysometimes.
Forsure. Andokay, my gut feeling tells me that you're one of thosepeople.
Imean, I think I've spoken about this on a previousshow, but I had a hiking experience in CapeTown, where it was a route that I was relatively familiarwith, but the weather conditions changed drastically veryquickly, and I wasalone.
And within the space of fiveminutes, I went from completely clear conditions to not being able to see like two meters in front ofme, so I just stopped hiking and then wait for a rescue team to come and findme, and I was stuck on the smalton for like 10hours.
That's soscary.Yeah,yeah, itwas, but Imean, the rescue team did a greatjob, but it was just an example of how particularly when you're out innature, things can change veryquickly, and if you'realone, you canbe, you can find yourself in a very trickysituation.
So that's why people sometimes sign up in groups and go to new places when theytravel, and also big orsmall, that's allrelative.
And you guys mentioned the tour group that consists of like 15 or 20people, is that considered small for today'smeasurement?
I'd say so compared to what I'veseen,yeah.
Ohreally?Well, I've been to evensmaller.
Oh,yeah. Then how was that experience of even fewer people gatheringtogether?
Yeah, Imean, this might defy my generalimpression, but I'm not a people's person when I'm off theshow.
I enjoy my ownspace, but also I value safety when going to acertain.
It's a fineline.Yeah, because obviously you want to do certain thingsalone, and you want to be autonomous in terms of what you decide to do when you're in your freetime, and you've spent money on a tour or an overseastrip.
But you also have to be aware ofsafety, particularly if you're ina, like I'vesaid, an outdoorsetting, where you're at the mercy of theelements.
Or if you're in a new country or a newcity, that's definitely something to be awareof.
Right. And also I am a youngermillennial, and I suppose in ourgeneration.
Okay, let'snot, I shouldn't be representing anybody butmyself.
Let's just say I've always felt that I don't enjoy being just a face in thecrowd.
It's mylife.Yeah. And not quoting a bunch of theintentionally, but that's comingup.
And therefore I've always liked the smallergroups.
Also just think about this when you're traveling with a whole bunch ofstrangers, some of them are going to belate.
Some of them are going to have badbreath.
Some of them are going to be too chatty orwhatnot.
So just to avoid all of thosethings, traveling in a smaller group I think has its obviousbenefits.
But you can also find that in a small groupthough, because if there's only like five or 10 ofyou, then the chatty one's goingto, youknow, you've got a greater chance of being linked to the chattyone, where it's a group of ahundred.
You cansay, I'm going to go talk to my friend like 20 rows down if you wantto, if you want to avoid the chattyperson.
So it's like there's pros and cons Isuppose.
Yeah. And I think these days with the different platforms that are utilized via your smartphone thesedays, because it's just so much easier to find at least someone to go travelingwith, whether you want it to be something in acquaintance youknow, or completestrangers.
And I suppose that aspect of being able to link withstrangers, meeting new people is what contributes to the social aspect that youshould, you were talkingabout.
So are you saying that young people these days are kind of depending on this as a gateway into meeting newpeople?
I thinkso, because youknow, first ofall, they provide these kind of highly personalized kind of experience because you get there and youcan, because during thetrip,right,they're, they're not going to be a guide guiding you to what kind of aspot, because you gothere.
And just go travel with anybody that you would like to gowith.
So that is the period that you can get socializing withpeople.
They can bethough, like I think in some of thoseexperiences, you can kind of follow theguide, like you can ask the guy to take you to certain places orwhatever, but there is definitely the option of arriving at avenue.
Yeah, so it's highlycustomized.
Yeah, and you can do your ownthing.
So there's thisoptions, which I think is something that people appreciate in these smallergroups.
Yes, and I saw some people say that this kind of also opportunity for blind boxsocialization.
I think we talked about itbefore.
Well, explain topeople, because blind box is not something if you do not understand the Chinese contextagain.
So blind box is basically you don't know what's inside thebox.
So basically when you go to these kind of travelgroups, you don't know what kind of people you willcounter.
And then then you can get kind of a socialization in a blind box that you can meet different peopleblindly,maybe.
Soafter, youknow, I saw somebody saying that online after breaking theice, they quickly bonded and along the way they share life and emotionalstories.
They can share theirhappiness,sadness, confusion and had endlessconversations.
I think that isgreat. For mepersonally, I can't imagine anythingworse.
Like when I'm on holiday or for one to go see a specific location or experience somethingnew, I don't want to hear about somebody else's lifeproblems, lifestory, like no sit next tome, keepquiet.
Let's enjoy this experiencetogether.
Butno, I don't want to learn everything aboutyou.
That's my personaltake.
What about if this person just started to strike a conversation about this temple you see right in front ofyou?
That'sacceptable. But if you start talking about your kids and your job and your mentalstruggles, you're notinterested,mate.
Well, usuallyis, youknow, let's see how the conversation flows because it's not like when you'rebonded, then you can have that kind of funconversation.
But I must say like also I think in someinstances, I've done most of my travelsolo, which Ilove, but I think that some of those experiences may have beenenhanced.
I think there was with either a close acquaintance or somebody knew that I met and then got alongwith.
So I think there are definitely pros and cons to different types oftourism.
But I can definitely see some of the pros in the small group experiences that we've beendiscussing.
Yeah. And also people apparently are now favoring some of the less popularspots.
And then they liketo, in away, show off that I've been to this place that none of you have heardof.
As opposed to the traditional tourismhotspots.
So they are kind of interested in these kind of niche attractions and authentic local cuisine so that basically you don't need to go to these kind of hot spot and popular touristdestinations.
But you can go to these small lanes that were only local people will go have breakfast or something likethat.
And then so these tourist hotspot likeChongqing, Shanghai andBeijing, although they remain bustling hotel booking demand in dozens of smaller cities in China has more than double year onyear.
So some small cities in Northeast and Western regions have seen booking demand increases of over100% year on year indicating a growing interest to mine tourist in these kind of non traditional touristdestinations.
I had relatively similar experiences in my own city where it was a little bit differentthough.
Like I only wanted to explore the niche areas one side already being to the touristyareas.
So forexample, my mom loves to climb lionshead, which is a massive tourist popular destination in CapeTown.
And she's done it like five six seventimes, where I'm the type of person that would love to do one thingonce.
That's verypopular. And then instead of doing that same thing multipletimes, I would like to go and find newthings.
So I've been to multiple venues all across my city because they are somany.
And it just requires a little bit of research to find something new and somethingniche.
But that beingsaid, I didn't avoid the popularspots.
I just moved on to niche spots one side being to those popularspots.
And I think that's also something thatlocals, if they're wanting to explore their own city can look at as opposed to going to very popular destinations multipletimes, do some research and find out what else you can see in your city because I'm sure inBeijing, forexample, there are thousands of sites that you cansee.
But she probably won't even awave.
Yes. And also maybe this reflects a little bit of a change in the tourist mentality in the sense that now we're talking about people who are travelingin, youknow, they could be millennials or GenZ.
And they're kind of different from their parentsgeneration.
And the past or let's say like 30 yearsago, I remember when my family or like extended family traveled overseas for the firsttime, it was often to sing mytie.
SoSingapore, Malaysia andThailand.
And backthen, it was allabout,okay, this was yearsago,alright.
Sopeople. Soyeah, I remember my auntie waslike, I'm putting out my nicestclothes.
And this is a brand new chunky big camera by today'sstandards.
And I'm taking that withme.
And I'm taking enough cash with me aswell.
And I'm just going to be flush on my trip for like aweek.
Yeah. And because ChungdaFulu, it's like when you're outtraveling, then you want to be financiallyprepared.
Yeah, because it's a once in a lifetime experiencetoo.
So you want to make the most ofit.
Yeah, and we comehome. It'slike,oh, regular laid back lifestyle or whatever itis.
Anyway, so when they went another hallmarkof, Isuppose, first generation travelers was you hit all the landmark iconicspot.
And then it's like if you go to theParis, you have to take a picture in front of the I fulltower.
And if you go toSingapore, you have to take that picture in front of thelion, the lion fountainthing.
I'msorry,Singaporeans.
I don't know the name ofit, but you get what Imean.
And I love thatspot. So now what you see is like this generation or youngertravelers, they have a different idea abouttraveling.
Now it'slike,okay, it could be a really laid backthing.
I could be enjoying the day at the spa in the hotel or going to these obscure little places that might just be a coffee shop or a nice little local place that's not going to makenews.
But I'm enjoying mytime.
This is heavily trending on socialmedia.
So you'll get people that are going to the world renounce it is like Paris LondonRome.
And the only pictures you are seeing are random streets or them at some cute littlecafe.
I'm pretty sure they went to the Trevi fountain and they went to the I fulltower,etc.
But to keep up with the whole cooltrendy, I'm just in a new cityvibe, not going to the touristyspots.
They'll only post pictures where they're at random spots that no one even knows what city they'rein.
But I guarantee you those kids still went to all of the touristy spots and tookpictures, but just didn't postthem.
Yes, I would say more people are in the sense of discovering more places because of course they still go to these kind of famous spots when you're going toParis, ofcourse, going to take a picture with the Appletower.
But they can they are also on the side of discovering more interesting places that they will like to enjoy their own lifestyle or something because they can actually of course that's also a way of express themselves because it is also reflecting that I am enjoying my life in the way of really chill and go down the emptystreet.
Or to show their friends how cool theyare.
Look atme. But the thing is on the one hand you've got this sort of like a hidden message that is well not all that hidden that is screaming that look atme.
I'm individualistic and you're so in a critic that I have my own unique taste and I go to thisplace.
But on the otherhand, just look at XiaoHongshu, aka red orInstagram, you've got this whole swath of other like photos clearly showing that people they go to the exact same spot use the exact same filter and take exactly the samepicture.
And nowadays it's so interchangeable you can just use AI to like put yourself into the picture and then you know you get a millioncopies.
Anyway, so on the other hand you also get like these like mass produced social media friendly photos of people going to exactly the same spot in the strange new city that you goto.
I think it's good to have a little bit of a combination ofboth.
So I think before you go on atrip, you should definitely identify one or two or threehistoric, youknow, world famous sites that you definitely have to see and cannot miss if you visit a certain city or a certaincountry.
But I also think it's good to make the time to just go out and explore a city and have a day that was not necessarily planned and just live in themoment.
And I think it is definitely possible to do both with a little bit of planning in terms of seeing certain things before you go on yourtrip.
But it's also definitely possible to make the time to just walk out of your hotel or your accommodation or whatever and just walk around and have a completely unplanned unscheduledday.
And I think that's also a worthwhile experience up there with you knowseeing, youknow, these historical sites and it is definitely possible to do both on atrip.
Absolutely. I saw actually somehashtags, very popular hashtags that telling people that a lot of people are so tired of planning theirtrips.
And then we can actually enjoysome, youknow, random trips that you canjust, youknow, send a pin on the map and then you go there and see what is going on and see what is going to bethere.
So I think that isalso, youknow,now, nowadayspeople, they are feelingthat,okay, the trip are for enjoying theirlife.
Yeah, traveling on a whim that is my ultimatedream.
Yeah, and I often find that when people come back fromtrips, even if it's a city that has a thousand historicalsites, normally the stories that they tell are moments that happened that wereunplanned.
So I think that making time for that possibility is veryimportant.
Yes, go andsee, youknow, the Louvre and the Ival Tower when you're inParis, but also make the time to walk around and just experience the city and see and experience what localsdo.
Yeah. And I think you'll come back with a variety ofstories, youknow, that you can cherish for manyyears.
And another trend that we found out is that this has been alluded to on a previous show a couple of days ago about museums and art experiences are apparently what's drawing people to their travel destinationstoo.
Yeah, so there is also a growing trend of these kind of cultural tourism focused on museums and historicalsites.
And the average popularityof, youknow, music festivals across the country has increased by over90% and museums and other cultural attractions have also become populardestinations.
So you can see one is that in Hubeiprovince, the Hubei provincial museum experience a significant increase in popularity due to the exhibition of new culturalrelics.
I saw that's a kind of anew, newly or unearthed from attomb.
So it is for the first time and a lot of people just go for this specific tomb to sightseeing and that is it was so popular and became the museum with the fastest increasing popularity on Ma FungWall, which is atrip.
I think it's equivalent to a trip advisor and followed closely by the Shanxi History Museum and San Xing DuaiMuseum, both of which experience popularity increases of over300%.
Right. And on top ofthat, there is a growing penchant of travelers who favor the so-calledDII, DIY do ityourself, traveling style or basically independenttrips, Isuppose.
And then you design your route yourself and it does sound like a lot of work and that's why some people want to give freerent.
Is it before trip or during atrip?
Beforetrip.Okay, that's what Iplanned, mytrips.
So you do plan yourtrip.
Yeah, soyeah, I mean to a certainextent.
So obviously the accommodation and the flightsand, youknow, I normally research places to like get food or where the good nightlife is andwhat, youknow, certainsites.
I want to see yourweather, youknow, the nice beaches are etcetera, etcetera.
So there is definitely a significant amount of planning thathappens.
And I think also as a SouthAfrican, our passports are quitelimited.
So a lot needs to be done in terms of visas and that kind of thing aswell.
So ifyou're,yeah. So if you're the kind of person who will plan everything before your trip and because thereare.
There are day today, but like things that I want to see and do throughout thetrip.
It's definitely not planned on a day to day schedulestyle, but I definitely have like a hitlist, forexample.
Because there are some kind of people that theyjust, because we know that planning is actually a quite frustrating thing todo.
For those very timeconsuming.
Yeah. And so these people will go to just only for the kind of group tour and then care free and go to there and just payup.
Yeah. But then it's alsothe, my issue with that personally is that then it becomes likevery, your experience is kind of taken out of your hands because if you go on those groupexperiences, you kind of are told what to do at certain times and what you want to see on certaindays.
And if you're not feeling well on a certainday, you still kind of have to go along with thegroup.
So that kind of travelers never really appealed tome.
So for mepersonally, I'm willing to put in the work before the trip and then have my like individual experience as opposed to going on these grouptrips.
But that beingsaid, there is definitely a lot of convenience in going on these group trips because like yousaid, you can kind of just arrive and youknow, go along for theride.
Yeah. And that's why I think another form is quite popular is that you basically DIY most of yourtrips, join your vacation and then you sign up for some small group tours so that you can combine these two things to balance the efficiency andfreedom.
I've done that in recent trips where I arrive and then I kind of don't plan the first two days and kind of see what's goingon.
But when I'mthere, I will seek out local tour agencies and then there's normally like inclusive packages where you can see four or five different destinations in oneday.
And that's very appealing tome.
Yeah, that's reallygood.
And also some ofthese, a lot of these tour groups or touragencies, they have revamped their way of doing business as well in the sense of making these tour groups a little bit moreflexible.
Like you guys kind ofmentioned, Ithink.
So like maybe they have like a couple of days that are you're offfree, do whatever you do days and then there are other days when they take you to the main tourist spots that if you didn'tgo, it's almost like you have neverarrived.
Yeah, but then you also get these like one day tour groups that you can kind of book when you arrive at thedestination, which is also quite quite a niceexperience.
Yes, and we've also seen another one last trend will name it foryou.
That is apparently called slit stampcollection.
Yes. And it's not the kind of stamp that you stick onpostage, but it is the stamp that you getin.
You're just clacked it in anotebook.
Yeah. So what's thatabout?
So after you arrive at aplace, you will go get astem.
So this stamp is usually available at a local cultural and creative store or a museum and features elements that you know represent this local area so that people will like to collect it and as a representation they went to thisplace.
Right. Like to lick mugspersonally.
I love doingthat. And my mom likes to get fridge magnets from me when I go to acountry.
Yeah, that's a favorite for a lot ofpeople.
And I think this is a good way toactually, youknow, memorize all of the place that youwent.
Yeah,definitely. I think it's part of human nature that we want to create a tangible record of once travels and collectmementos.
