As pandemic measures persist, vacationing locally remains a main option for holiday

“Tailor-made trips", “staycation” and “cultural tours” have become the buzzwords describing the domestic tourism market during the recent National Day holiday, which ran from Oct 1 through Friday.

On an online platform for travel customization, a user can book a     1     itinerary with a click of a button after providing information such as place of departure, destination, travel dates and number of travelers, Xinhua News Agency reported.

“The tour customization specialist who received my order     2     a travel plan for me according to my specifications in terms of food, accommodation, transport and recreational activities,” a tourist from the eastern city of Qingdao told Xinhua. “A dedicated driver and guide were assigned to us, and any details could be     3     at my request.”

Dai Xuefeng, director of the division for tourism and leisure at the National Academy of Economic Strategy from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua: “Bespoke holidays are an inevitable result of the development of the tourism industry and of economic growth.”

Vacationing     4     remains a main option as COVID-19 precautions continue. In the week leading up to the holiday, on-demand services platform Meituan saw searches for “local tours” and “suburban attractions” surge by 440 percent week-on-week.

Suburban attractions in Beijing, such as Universal Beijing Resort and Beijing Wtown, were among the popular choices for local residents, Xinhua reported.

In the Central China province of Hubei, rural tours, fruit and vegetable picking experiences, and camping trips emerged as the top options. They were expected to take in more than 60 percent of the province’s tourist spending during the holiday week, according to Xinhua.

Zhou Qiao, a resident of Hubei’s Yichang city who vacationed at the local Bailihuang scenic area during the holiday, told Xinhua: “We booked tents in advance and took our family here to experience the wonder of watching the sunrise in the morning and counting the stars in the evening. My children loved the experience very much.”

The wide     5     of cultural events and destinations in cities drew huge numbers of urban residents during the holiday week.

Historical architectural     6     Sanfang Qixiang, which     7     means “three lanes and seven alleys”, in Fuzhou, East China’s Fujian province, entertained tourists with     8     cultural heritage-themed talent shows and Yueju Opera performances, among others.

In Shanghai, many museums     9     exhibitions, cultural activities, as well as night tours to add a(n)     10     of culture to the holiday fun, said China Central Television.

Li Xinjian, a professor at Beijing International Studies University’s School of Tourism Sciences, told Xinhua that the integration of culture and tourism highlights the cultural experiences in tourist trips, and tailor-made tours offer in-depth cultural experiences that large group tours are unable to provide.

7 . Some places can create strong memories. We often clearly remember important events in our lives and link them with the places where they happened. Many people remember exactly where they were when they heard very good or very bad news. The following are a few special places that are important to Americans who look to the past, but also are thinking of the future.

New Orleans Streetcars

Many American cities once had streetcars, but not anymore.     1     Anthony Falls has been driving streetcars for 10 years, and plans to keep doing so.

“First of all, it’s one of the most, the oldest rail lines in the world.     2     Because at one time they didn’t have people of color driving the street car. So I think that’s a big part of my job.”

Historic Houses

Historic homes can interest people seeking to connect with the former owners. Barbara Klein tells us about three such homes, including a very simple, white house in Virginia.     3    

This simple house in Winchester, Virginia, opened its doors to the public in August. It was home to singer Patsy Cline, who died at the age of 30.

Patsy’s first cousin, Patricia Brannon, shows the house to visitors.     4     She is pleased that Winchester is finally honoring her cousin, nearly 50 years after she died in a plane crash.

Havre de Grace

Havre de Grace is a town in the American state of Maryland. This part of Maryland is famous for its wildlife. Hunters use decoys(用于诱捕鸟兽的动物或仿制物)to get ducks and geese to come close enough to shoot. The wooden birds are so highly respected here that Havre de Grace calls itself the decoy capital of the world. It also has a museum with more than 1,000 decoys.     5