Over the past few months, Chinese youth travelers have jumped on a new craze. For many of them, it’s a mighty, frugal leap into adventures across the globe. Oneone Han and Pipi Tang enact this avant-garde tendency beautifully. In under 48 hours they hit up 14 stops and only spent a little over $360 total! Their journey is one of careful research and planning, as well as affordability and cost-effective solutions. This travel style reflects the growing popularity of “special forces-style travel,” a trend among Chinese travelers.
Oneone Han and Pipi Tang’s urban explorations were filled with hundreds of steps, often with Han clocking over 25,000 steps a day. The adventurous couple has set the ambitious goal of traveling to each of the 34 Chinese provinces before 2026. They’re down to just four provinces on their master list! Their travel always went into meticulous planning, which involved a lot of art sleeper train to save on hotel expenses.
The Rise of Special Forces Travel
The trend of special forces travel has taken off on Chinese social media platforms such as RedNote and Douyin. This interesting trend is representative of a much larger shift in travel behavior. Our young people are learning quickly as they navigate the challenges of a new post-COVID-19 world. Dr. Mingming Cheng, a tourism expert, noted that this style of travel is indicative of broader social pressures facing young Chinese.
“Particularly after COVID-19, people start having the idea that if I don’t experience [things] now, I will be regretful for the future.” – Dr. Cheng
Their approach is all about maximizing what you can experience and learn, while minimizing what you spend. Pipi Tang explained the rationale behind their choices:
“So it covers a night’s accommodation, and we don’t waste any of our daytime for activities.”
The way they’ve traveled has found a home with so many others who want to travel like this. So when Chloe Cai recently traveled to Hong Kong for three days in May and spent a total of just $106, people were shocked. She slept one night in McDonald’s to save on accommodation expenses.
It’s no surprise that so many people enjoy this budget-friendly way to travel. Local advocates have been concerned about how it would affect the booming local tourism economy.
Criticism and Concerns
Though most young travelers have welcomed this more affordable route, it came under fire before it’s even gotten started. Special forces travel has been called “dehumanizing” by some residents of Hong Kong, the final destination on this tour. They contend that it isn’t an important driver of economic development. As Prof. Mimi Li of Hong Kong Polytechnic University noted, these travel demand management strategies aren’t likely to produce short-term increased revenue. They are necessary for big long-term wins for tourism.
“We must look at tourism as a whole, so that every tourist will find their experience in Hong Kong is an enjoyable and welcome one.” – John Lee
Chloe Cai’s story paints a vivid picture of the ups and downs of this action- and adventure-filled travel style. She reported feeling unsafe throughout her night at McDonald’s and eventually chose not to do this experience again.
“I won’t do it again. Next time I’ll go on a day trip to Hong Kong,” – Ms. Cai
Future Perspectives on Tourism in Hong Kong
Budget travel, just like the world at large, is changing more quickly than ever. To counter this trend, the Hong Kong government has been implementing new initiatives to bring in tourists and improve their overall experience. Future plans call for increasing tours to regional manufacturers and food producers, growing mountain diversified-agriculture eco-tours, and attracting new cultural-travel experiences.
Teng and Tang’s epic journey shows just what great planning can accomplish. With a little willingness to plan, travel can be filled with rich experiences without emptying the bank!
“We feel fulfilled to visit many places in a short time while saving money,” – Oneone Han
To build their trip, the couple used social media to gather useful travel tips and itineraries. This approach allowed them to make the best use of their time and resources. Pipi Tang highlighted the advantages of China’s well-developed rail network:
“China’s well-developed rail network, especially high-speed trains, makes it possible for us to do quick visits to different cities.”
