Growing desire

In March, the tourism academy and fellow online travel agency Trip.com released a report saying that survey respondents showed a greater passion and willingness for driving than several traditionally popular means of travel, including taking flights, bullet trains and buses.

The survey was based on 15,000 questionnaires collected from 100 cities. Over 41 percent of people surveyed said they preferred traveling by car once the outbreak is under control.

Bullet trains and flights accounted for 29 percent and 14 percent.

"Taking flights or bullet trains are common ways for people to travel. However, these transportation options have posed more strict requirements on passengers during the outbreak, such as making temperature checks and trip-long mask-wearing mandatory, at the expense of flexibility and comfort," said Zhang Yu, vice-general manager of online travel agency Lvmama's vacation department.

"That's why more people choose to drive cars; they can go anywhere they want in their cars," he said.

Zhang added that a lack of a sense of security is another consideration pushing people to choose self-driving.

"Travelers have no idea about their peers when taking public transportation, making them feel unsafe, even though airline and train operators have already tested these passengers," he said.

"On the other hand, people usually take self-driving tours with friends or those they're familiar with because it makes them feel safer."

Recreational vehicles are the most popular option for self-driving holidays due to their functional space and the independence they provide.

In a September report by the tourism academy, the Saic Maxus Automotive RV Technology, a one-stop service provider in recreational cars, had a 399 percent year-on-year rise for RV rental orders in May. Year-on-year growth in June was 220 percent and in July 218 percent.

Destinations with long coastlines, vast grassland and plains, such as Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Gansu province, and Hainan province in southern China, are favored by self-driving travelers.

Liu Lili, a 32-year-old from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, went on four self-driving tours with her family last year.

"We were hesitant to travel with the COVID-19 still out there, but my three-year-old son had been crying about taking a trip. So we went on our first self-driving tour in June when it was warmer," she said. "We rented an SUV and went to Huzhou (in Zhejiang), about 80 kilometers from Hangzhou, and spent a weekend there.

"My husband drove the car and we stopped whenever we saw a beautiful place to have a rest and take photos. It's quite flexible and comfortable for families like ours, traveling with kids."

Then in August, the National Day holiday and last month, the family drove to Moganshan, also in Zhejiang and several places in Gansu and Xiamen in Fujian province.