Short trips are increasingly popular in China because of sporadic cases of COVID-19 which prevent people from traveling afar.

Chinese tourism website Mafengwo recently unveiled a report about short trips of no more than three days, revealing that younger visitors enjoy such travel.

The report said visitors’ various interests made their short trips more vibrant. About 25% of the subjects said they made a trip because of a specific experience, such as a boundless swimming pool.

While 17% traveled in search of delicious food, about 23% chose their destination based on outdoor sports.

As a part of the preventive measures against COVID-19, many Chinese cities including Beijing have encouraged people to stay locally for the Spring Festival holiday, offering them the choice of a staycation.

Beijing WTown is popular among those who yearn for a short getaway from the hustle-and-bustle. The majority of its visitors are young Chinese, and parents who travel with children, from Beijing and surrounding cities.

“The popularity of staycations means that residents are willing to explore their own city for fun. It has encouraged us to create more tourism products that focus on an immersive experience,” says Zheng Fang, vice-president of Haichang Ocean Park Holdings Ltd, which runs 10 theme parks across China.

Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park has prepared various festive performances including lion dances for the Spring Festival holiday.

At night, visitors can watch a parade with festooned vehicles and a fantastic immersive light show above water, combined with fireworks and augmented reality scenes.