Aging, agile, smitten by wanderlust, Chinese make world their oyster

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These days, post-retirement life for Chinese people includes not just tai chi, mahjong, and dancing at squares but travel, which has spawned niche tourism.

Liu Yue, 56, said she now travels twice a year. She has visited Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Tibet autonomous region, Guizhou province, Yunnan province, as well as Russia and Cambodia in recent years. Her future plans are for visits to Japan and South Korea.

Generally, she would invite several friends or family members to join on a package tour. “So it won’t take our time to arrange the travel schedule.”

Most of the time, Liu would visit major scenic spots and buy some specialty products. Each tour may cost her 6,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan ($872 to $1,453). “The point is to relax, experience local culture and enjoy tasty food.”

The world’s second-largest economy has 240 million senior citizens. More than 20 percent of Chinese tourists are from this group, which has stimulated the tourism market during the low season, data from the Office of the National Working Commission on Aging showed.

Chinese people who are now aged 55 and over were born in difficult times when a typical family revenue used to cover just the costs of basic accommodation. Many such people see travel as realization of their longheld dreams of youth, said Chen Guang, partner at consultancy firm McKinsey and Company.

After retirement, they have stable income from pensions, less economic pressure and more free time. So, travel is feasible. Their grown children gift tours to express love and gratitude, Chen said.

“With the economic development, the elderly tourism market is growing quickly, faster than many other mature tourism markets,” he said.

The stereotype of old Chinese tourists crowding into some Chinese restaurants or getting busy taking photographs at scenic spots, is also changing. Elderly people are seeking more diverse and deeper cultural experiences.

According to a recent report released by Ctrip, China’s largest online travel agency, about 85 percent of its over 1 million elderly clients chose medium and high-end products, which emphasizes pursuit of comfort and pleasure in travel.

Tailored trips, themed tours, private tours and cruise trips are gaining in popularity among the old group.

Tourists older than 55, whose average consumption reached