Outbound travel is becoming increasingly popular for Chinese people during the holiday season. Statistics released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed that in the first three quarters of this year, the number of outbound Chinese tourists reached nearly 120 million, up 8.5 percent year on year. The age distribution of Chinese tourists is dumbbell shaped, which means that youngsters and middle-aged or elderly tourists are the main travel groups.

The number of middle-aged and elderly tourists is rising in China, as they begin to change their consumption ideas and aim to enjoy a richer retirement life.

Due to poor language communication and reluctance to use mobile phone software for tourism, the majority of Chinese tourists prefer package tours and choose to book their tours offline.

Package tours are still the most popular form of outbound travel, according to an extensive data report on China's new outbound package tours in 2019.

In addition to traditional package tours and independent travel, the two most common forms of travel, customized private tours have also become popular in recent years, becoming a new option for many family travelers.

Meanwhile, more tourists in second - and third-tier cities are opting for high-quality outbound consumption.

"Second - and third-tier cities have experienced rapid economic development in recent years, and people's income levels have risen rapidly. As a result, tourists in second-tier cities now have enough spending power to choose better tourism products," said Jia Jianqiang, CEO of a company engaged in customized travel.