Tourist trains gaining popularity among seniors

Chinese consumers have indicated a growing interest in taking dedicated tourist trains, with rising search volumes related to the sector seen, following the country's plan to retrofit tourist trains to make them more senior-friendly.

Specifically, the country plans to launch more green and comfortable travel products and develop more themed routes for the trains, according to a guideline issued on Feb 11 by nine entities, including the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and China State Railway Group Co Ltd.

On Wednesday and Thursday, search volume for travel products related to such tourist trains more than tripled over the same period in January, said Tongcheng Travel, a Suzhou, Jiangsu province-based online travel agency.

Tourist trains have been one of the most popular travel products among seniors in China. In 2024, nearly 80 percent of consumers who booked tourist trains were aged 60 and above, Tongcheng said.

Tourist trains connecting Gansu province and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region; Heilongjiang province and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region; as well as the China-Laos Railway, have been quite popular among senior travelers, Tongcheng said.

China has the world's largest passenger railway network, while the operation of tourist trains in the country is still in its development stage. In 2024, China operated a total of 1,860 tourist trains nationwide, a record high, and the number jumped nearly 50 percent over the pre-pandemic period in 2019, said China Railway.

"Compared with traditional modes of travel, tourist trains are more comfortable and they satisfy traveler demand for catering, accommodation, transportation and sightseeing, making them more friendly to senior travelers," said Li Zhun, a senior researcher at the Tongcheng Research Institute.

"In the next three to five years, demand for cultural and tourism products suitable for senior travelers will further grow in China. Besides raising the supply of tourist train products, there is still room for improvement in the quality of service and operation," Li said.

He added that in the next step, tourist trains may be envisioned as a peer to mature business models like luxury cruise ships. More tourist train products suitable for different types of consumers and a new marketing system should be promoted.

Meanwhile, the domestic tourism market has gradually returned to normalcy after the Spring Festival holiday, and prices of flight tickets and hotels have declined, making it friendly for senior travelers who seek to travel during off-peak periods.

Tongcheng Travel said after the Spring Festival break, the company has received an increasing number of travel inquiries from senior travelers aged between 55 and 70. Compared with office employees and students, older travelers have more flexible schedules, and they are able to opt for off-peak travel periods to avoid crowds, the company said.

During off-peak periods, some popular outbound destinations for Chinese travelers include Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo in Japan; Seoul, South Korea; Bangkok, Thailand; Singapore; New Zealand; and Bali, Indonesia. In addition, cruise tourism products to Japan and South Korea, as well as Mediterranean cruises, have been sought after by consumers, the online travel agency found.