Self-driving tours increasingly popular in China

The Chinese made 580 million self-driving trips across domestic destinations in 2018, a year-on-year increase of 35.6 percent, according to the China Tourism Academy (CTA).

According to data from the CTA, around 70 percent of domestic road trips in 2018 were excursions with a driving distance of no more than 200 kilometers and a travel period between two to three days. However, the number of long-distance and outbound self-driving trips saw growth in 2018.

Heishantou, Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

The self-driving market was expanding, said Dai Bin, head of the CTA.

The development and application of new technologies such as the mobile Internet, big data and artificial intelligence changed people's way of traveling and promoted the development of relevant industries, including car rentals, caravan manufacturing and campground development, Dai said. Car-rental platforms such as eHi, CAR Inc. and Ctrip now provide both domestic and overseas services.

No.1 Highway in Liyang, Changzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, August 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

Last year, Chinese made more than 5.5 billion domestic trips and 150 million overseas trips. The CTA predicts a continuous increase of self-driving trips in China in 2019.

Dai advocates more attention on environmental protection during road trips. He said that the massive usage of private cars, cross-country vehicles, caravans and recovery vehicles may cause greater impact on the natural and human environment, compared to hiking, cycling or bus tours.

"Associations, companies and travelers should pay more attention to protecting the environment during such trips," Dai said.

(CGTN)