Chinese discover customized trips a perfect fit

Thailand, Australia, the Chinese city of Hangzhou, Vietnam's Danang and Shaanxi province's Xi'an are among the favorite foreign and domestic destinations for customized trips by Beijingers who book through China's largest online travel agency, Ctrip. [Photo/China Daily]

Tao Peng, who tailors tours for Ctrip from Jiangsu's provincial capital, Nanjing, says orders are nearly doubling on a monthly basis.

He learns customers' demands, develops travel plans and manages logistics before departure. Tao offers follow-up services during the trips.

"(Our) knowledge about destinations saves customers time and helps them avoid traps," he says.

"We optimize resource integration and spend a lot of time comparing prices."

His clients seek freedom and flexibility.

Most ask for moderately paced itineraries. Over 60 percent of such trips last four to seven days.

"They want to understand destinations in depth," Tao says.

His orders have included a museum-themed Beijing trip and a photography tour to capture the colorfully banded Danxia red-sandstone formations in Gansu province's Zhangye.

Ctrip's network of customized tours spans 956 cities in 107 countries.

Hainan province's Sanya, Yunnan province's Lijiang and Fujian province's Xiamen are favorite destinations for customized trips by Beijingers, Ctrip reports.

Japan, Thailand and the United States are the most popular foreign sites.

Quality hotels are a common request.