Businesses scramble to reach China’s growing experiences economy

There’s nothing quite like the holiday rush in China for the Lunar New Year.  The Beijing city streets start emptying out several days in advance as the majority of residents return to their hometowns or travel elsewhere. A quiet calm replaces the normally tense atmosphere of people rushing to work or school.

So where are the locals going? Immersive experiences rank high.

Bookings for theme park hotels nearly doubled from a year ago, while demand for trips with traditional performances and artisanal crafts rose about 40%, according to preliminary figures from Fliggy, a travel platform owned by Alibaba. “We’ve seen a lot of younger generation doing much more deep dive into the cultural experience, testing local activities in terms of arts in China,” said Kenneth Chow, a principal at consulting firm Oliver Wyman.

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