China’s youth rebel against hotel price hikes — with tents

What happened

During the recent eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday (October 1-8), China’s younger generation quietly rewrote the rules of travel and accommodation. As hotels and guesthouses raised their prices in anticipation of a holiday windfall, they found fewer takers than expected.

Crowds still packed the country’s scenic spots, but many hotel rooms sat empty. The reason: more and more young travelers are choosing to “take their own beds.” Some pitched tents on public lawns and open spaces, while others transformed their cars into mobile bedrooms. In Wuhan, Hubei province, rows of colorful tents stretched along the roadside, creating some of the holiday’s most striking urban images.

The obvious question arises: where do they shower, eat, or use the bathroom? These travelers have already perfected their routines. Campsites are strategically chosen near public restrooms. Hot showers come courtesy of discounted hourly hotel rooms, or gym day passes. Portable stoves, or ready-to-eat meals, solve the dining challenge. In the mountains or the city, this generation is proving that freedom and frugality can coexist.

This isn’t just anecdotal. The numbers reveal a significant market shift.

According to the China Camping Industry Data Analysis Report released by iiMedia Research, in 2024, China's core camping economy market reached 213.97 billion yuan ($29.7 billion). Market forecasts suggest that by 2025, the domestic core camping economy will surpass 248.3 billion RMB ($34.4 billion), continuing to drive the growth of related industries such as camping equipment, campsite construction, and outdoor food.

The Jing Take

What’s driving this shift goes beyond simple frugality. The first reason is financial pragmatism: younger consumers are no longer willing to pay peak-season premiums for standardized hotel rooms. As one Xiaohongshu user, Spendthrift Finance (@败家财经), noted, a hotel that once cost 300 RMB ($42) a night can surge to over 1,000 RMB ($139) during holidays — a markup many younger travelers now refuse to accept. A tent, by contrast, meets the same basic need at a fraction of the cost.

But the change runs deeper than thrift. It reflects an evolution in values. Today’s travelers aren’t seeking predictable comfort; they want to design their own experiences. Camping, unlike the enclosed world of hotels, offers an open stage where guests become active explorers rather than passive consumers. That shift in mindset is forcing hotels to reconsider what they’re actually selling.

During the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, domestic trips reached 888 million, with total spending of 809 billion RMB ($113.8 billion), according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The average daily spend per person — just 113.9 RMB ($15.78) — fell 13% from last year. The trend points to a more rational consumer and a fading “high volume, high price” model. Travelers are prioritizing experiences over premium pricing.

For hotels, discounts and marketing gimmicks will no longer suffice. As another Xiaohongshu user, Dream Come True Palau (@圆梦帕劳), observed, the era of “easy money” is over. The next wave of competition will hinge on emotional resonance and cultural relevance — on becoming a destination travelers want to remember. Hotels must adapt to a market where a tent on public grass now competes directly with a four-star room.

Emma Li