Chinese people with deep pockets（财力雄厚） are increasingly enjoying such kinds of trips around the world, with many preferring to visit places that are less frequented by others.

 

Popular destinations include the Arctic and Antarctic poles, that could cost between 120,000 and 250,000 yuan ($20,000-40,100) per person, and Tanzania and Kenya in East Africa where wild animals are in abundance.

 

"Those who prefer luxury tours are very rich and tired of ordinary destinations. They like the Sahara Desert tours," says Cao Xia, a senior tour adviser³ to Abercrombie & Kent China, an arm of a Western global high-end luxury tour operator. She recently accompanied a group of Chinese tourists to Morocco.

 

According to Cao, such tours aren't just about extravagant⁴（奢侈的） accommodation and food. People get to know about local cultures and lifestyles in a way that feels more authentic⁵.

 

Yang Mengyue, a publicity⁶ manager for the Chinese marketing⁷ consultancy HHtravel.com, says high-end customers demand "self-fulfillment", be it through leisurely⁸ trips or vigorous adventure travel. HHtravel.com is a high-end brand of Ctrip.com, a major travel website in China.

 

Other than big foreign companies that focus on luxury trips, there are many domestic tour operators and online agencies that offer them as well.

 

Yang says these customers are mostly multimillionaires aged⁹ between 40 and 55, many of whom are company executives, private entrepreneurs and celebrities¹⁰ - some even with their own aircraft.

 

HHtravel.com is offering an 80-day luxury tour around the world starting from February, at 1.25 million yuan per person, covering dozens of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

 

About 10 seats were purchased immediately after the company announced the offer.

 

"Customers of luxury tours prefer privacy and small groups," Yang says.

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