Restriction-free travel across China means more people taking advantage of warm weather to head out and enjoy life.

This summer vacation is the first to be free of restrictions since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and people's passion for travel has ignited. In response, many hotels are going beyond their traditional role as accommodation providers by offering experience-stays for their guests, particularly for families with children, who are a crucial target market.

According to a representative from Wassim Hotels and Resorts, a brand of Beijing Tourism Group, the parent-child customer group dominates this summer vacation, making up more than 50% of total bookings. Parent-child travel has now extended beyond just immediate family members to include grandparents and other relatives, China Business Journal reported in July.

The Enjoy Snow Hotel, within Enjoyland Resort in Central China's Henan province, features winter sports activities and has been a popular choice for family tourists this summer.

According to a hotel representative interviewed by China Business Journal, there is a scarcity of hotels in the market that cater to parent-child ice and snow activities. Such hotels require a substantial investment in construction and the training of professional teams, leading to higher operating costs. Nevertheless, the returns from these hotels have been substantial.

Liu Fang, general manager of Song Hotel Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan province, told the journal that families today have higher expectations of quality. Consequently, hotels need to integrate their own positioning with the local culture when developing new products.