BEIJING -- Inside a retired naval submarine docked alongside Shanghai's landmark Huangpu River, a group of tourists moving in single file in a cramped passage followed a tour guide in pursuit of novel knowledge about military life under the sea.

Shi Haosen, a 9-year-old boy from the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province in East China, said he was enthralled to hear that submariners can operate the vessel in the dark by solely relying on their muscle memory, and the cook on such a vessel must not make too much noise while cooking to avoid exposing the vessel's presence to the enemy.

"It all seems so exciting to me, learning about submarines and how life could be so different from what we've been used to in cities," Shi told Xinhua.

From boarding a submarine to taking a helicopter ride and racing on a professional kart track, Chinese tourists, particularly the younger generation, are increasingly shifting to novel travel options for unique experiences, according to various sources.

NOVEL EXPERIENCES

During the recent Spring Festival holiday, helicopter tour operators in east China's Shanghai reported significant growth in business levels, as they offered aerial views of attractions such as Shanghai Disneyland Resort and the striking city skyline.

Meanwhile, a skydiving base in Sanya of Hainan province in the south of China, welcomed a total of over 10,000 customers in 2024, marking a steady growth trend in visitor numbers.

Yu Dongshi, a helicopter pilot, has observed increasing enthusiasm among Chinese for low-altitude travel. "I've been in this profession for over two decades, and I feel more people are venturing into low-altitude travels," Yu revealed.

A report compiled by travel operator, Sunriver, said novel travel options such as helicopter rides have become popular because they can meet tourists' demands for unique perspectives and adventurous experiences.

As their living standards rise and consumption attitudes change, Chinese travelers are increasingly shifting to personalized and diverse travel experiences, the report showed.

Li Yuyue, who works for online travel platform Mafengwo, agreed that today's travelers prioritize experiences that meet their individual needs, contrasting with the past focus on popular attractions.

A man with the surname Wu, a 30-year-old tourist from Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu province, focused on racing with friends on a professional kart track located at the Shanghai International Circuit -- home to the Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix since 2004.

"Rather than going to popular tourist sites, which are normally crowded on holidays, we prefer to enjoy the thrill of karting here," Wu said.

OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES

Industry insiders believe that China's tourism industry has immense opportunities to capitalize on the government's endeavors to push for further development of the sector, aiming to foster new growth drivers.

In 2024, the term "low-altitude economy" was included in the Chinese government's work report for the first time. A resolution adopted at a key Communist Party of China meeting last July showed that China will develop general aviation and its low-altitude economy.

The Sunriver report forecasts continuous growth of the low-altitude travel industry in the coming years -- thanks both to favorable government policies and technological advances.

Nonetheless, the report also underscored innovation of business models, proposing to integrate low-altitude tourism with other sectors of the travel industry, such as hotels, dining and cultural entertainment, thereby creating one-stop tourism services.

Last month, the State Council unveiled a list of measures to boost tourism-related consumption. In addition, a State Council executive meeting held this week highlighted the importance of promoting consumption in the snow-and-ice tourism industry.

Enthusiasm for challenging winter sports, such as snowboarding and figure skating, has been on the rise in China in recent years, while the opening of the 9th Asian Winter Games last week in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, elevated the profile of ice-and-snow sports even further.

Figures showed that by April 2024, approximately 313 million people, or over 22 percent of China's population, had actively participated in ice-and-snow activities since the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Last winter, Harbin emerged as a popular destination for ice-and-snow tourism. In Heilongjiang province, well-equipped facilities and professional coaching at ski resorts have drawn new participants from across the country.

"This year, our facility has seen a greater number of people hitting the ice, with year-on-year growth of about 15 percent," said Meng Qingyou, a skating instructor at a winter sports center in Harbin.