China is set to launch a series of “silver trains” aimed at elderly tourists in a bid to capitalise on the world’s fastest-ageing population.
New guidance has been released by nine governmental departments, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, China State Railway Group Company and the Ministry of Commerce, which outlines plans to target senior travellers with ample leisure time who are able to travel outside of peak periods, according to China Daily.
"With the expansion of the elderly population and their growing demand for cultural and tourism consumption, the growth potential of tourist trains for seniors is huge," Kong Dejun, a director at the Ministry of Commerce, said.
China Railways is set to recondition existing facilities on board existing tourist trains to make them suitable for senior passengers.
This includes optimising the size and layout of berths, seats and restrooms to make them more comfortable for older travellers.
Handrails, oxygen cylinders, emergency call buttons and first aid equipment will also be installed.
In 2024, China operated a total of 1,860 tourist trains nationwide, a record high – and a figure that jumped nearly 50 per cent since 2019, China Railway revealed.
"The main operation directions of these trains are concentrated in popular tourist destinations and routes such as the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, as well as Yunnan and Heilongjiang provinces,” Zhu Wenzhong, deputy director of the passenger transportation department at China Railway, said.
“Last year, the tourist trains handled more than one million passenger trips,” he added.
China aims to launch more than 100 “high-quality railway routes for elderly tourism” by 2027, with more than 2,500 trains expected to operate each year.
"The launch of the special tourist trains for seniors represents a measure to further improve elderly friendly facilities and services and improve the wellbeing of the greying demographic, while the trains will also provide services for consumers of all age groups," added Mr Dejun.
One in five Chinese people were over the age of 60 by the end of 2022, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, a figure shaped by a one-child policy that restricted birth rates for decades.
This figure is expected to grow in coming years.
The news comes as travel restrictions for British travellers in China have significantly eased.
Under new rules, UK travellers can visit China visa-free as long as they are in transit to another country.
