With the continuous decline of the Chinese economy and the downgrading of consumption, self-driving tours have rapidly become popular, with “bed car travel” emerging as a new trend in tourism. Many tourists choose to save money by opting for “sleeping in cars instead of staying in hotels,” leading to a nearly 30% year-on-year decline in revenue for some hotels, causing distress in the industry. As for the experience of “bed car travel” itself, participants have mixed feelings.
On August 15, the topic of “‘Bed Car Travel’ from niche to trend, hotels start to panic” trended on multiple platforms in mainland China.
It is understood that a bed car is not a professional RV but a regular passenger car, mainly using new energy vehicles, modified to provide sleeping functions, allowing for overnight self-driving. The bed car craze is concentrated on new energy vehicle models.
According to reports from mainland media such as Cover News and Blue Whale News, halfway through the summer vacation, “bed car travel” rapidly shifted from a niche activity to a popular trend. Many tourists choose to spend the night in their cars instead of traditional hotel accommodations, putting significant pressure on some hotels due to the diversion of clientele.
Mr. Li, a working professional in Chengdu, travels during holidays, but with high hotel room rates during holidays, he converted his new energy car into a bed car, driving to places like Guiyang and Guangxi multiple times. He said, “I usually stay at highway service areas or parking lots, saving a substantial amount of money.”
Ms. Chen, who just finished a self-driving tour in Yunnan, mentioned that there are established RV camping sites in places like Dali, Lijiang, and Xishuangbanna where basic needs such as water, electricity, bathrooms, and laundry facilities are available, with daily fees ranging from about 50 to 100 RMB. Some also choose to park in parks or other free parking spots.
She noted that with more luggage for their two-person trip this time, adjusting the space inside the car was more troublesome, and they plan to streamline their items and prioritize finding locations close to restrooms next time.
Ms. Ai and her family from Shenyang embarked on a month-long self-driving trip to Xinjiang with their six-seat new energy SUV as their “home.” Parked at a highway service area, which provided public restrooms, water sources for washing up, and charging stations, they folded down the front seats, laid out custom mattresses, then added sheets, blankets, and pillows for the family of three to rest inside the car.
Currently, on social media platforms, the topic of “bed car travel” has exceeded one hundred million views.
The travel costs shared by tourists are highly appealing. Some tourists mentioned that their 4-day-4-night trip to Yunnan, including charging, meals, and one night in a hotel, cost only about 1,000 RMB.
Another tourist drove over 10,000 kilometers in three months, spending nearly 2,000 RMB on fuel, around 10,000 RMB on food and drinks, bringing a small electric cooker to cook meals, resulting in total expenses far below the original budget.
Tourists generally believe that bed cars can significantly save costs on travel and accommodation, especially suitable for routes with dispersed attractions in places like Xinjiang, Yunnan, and Inner Mongolia. However, some point out that the limited space inside the car leads to poor rest quality and exhaustion during long journeys, making it unsuitable for long travels with children.
Among the essential items shared by tourists for their trips, car mattresses, folding basins, awnings, electric cookers, and portable showers are commonly included. On e-commerce platforms, bed mattresses for cars priced between 80 and 200 RMB have seen a substantial sales volume, with some models selling over 600,000 units, while several other popular ones sell between 100,000 and 500,000 units.
Rental car platforms have also introduced models tailored for bed car travel, with daily rates ranging from 50 to 400 RMB.
Bed car travel offers low costs and high flexibility, but it is not suitable for everyone. Realistic challenges such as stuffy environments, inconvenient washing facilities, and poor rest quality have made many families hesitant.
Some tourists admitted that sleeping in a bed car requires frequent trips to restrooms, significantly affecting the experience. Being already tired from long drives, the limited resting conditions inside the car were not as comfortable as falling asleep in a hotel room after a wash.
Ms. Zhang from Inner Mongolia once bought a mattress to sleep in her car but found herself sweating profusely after a long drive, especially in the hot and humid weather in the south, realizing that the interior of the car could accumulate unpleasant odors. She eventually chose to stay in a hotel to recuperate.
During the summer, Ms. Zong from Anhui embarked on a bed car trip with her two children, testing it for two days in Haikou. Their first night, as newbies, was spent in a tourist parking lot in a scenic area where the bathroom was locked at 11 p.m., leaving them anxious and hesitant to drink water. On the second night after being chased away by security at one location, they finally found a resting place at a service area, but encountered issues when cleaning the electric cooker at the public restroom, with staff addressing the situation. Thus, the reality of bed car travel was not as idyllic as she initially imagined, leading them to opt for hotel stays for the following nights.
The rise of “bed car travel” has left traditional hotel industry in a state of anxiety.
Latest industry data shows that this summer, the national hotel market is exhibiting a clear trend of differentiation, with the overall occupancy rate slightly declining year-on-year, notably pressured by budget hotels, with a revenue per available room dropping over 5.9% and some regional budget hotels experiencing revenue declines of nearly 8%. Hotel operators are further distressed by the bizarre phenomenon of “fully booked but no increase in revenue” occurring in many places.
Hotel managers in popular self-driving destinations like the Qinghai-Gansu Loop, Yunnan, and northwest regions have unanimously expressed that despite seemingly full rooms during the summer, the actual revenue has dropped by nearly 30% year-on-year.
Citing Zhang Haoxi, the founder of Travel Indie, Blue Whale News revealed that although some hotels were fully booked this summer, their revenue dropped by nearly 30% year-on-year due to a significant increase in bed car travelers: “Many travelers have reduced their budgets for travel, plus some prefer bed car travel, which has had a certain impact on the hotel industry.”
Data from the hotel data platform “Hotel House” shows that from June 29 to July 26, China’s hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR), occupancy rates, and average room rates all declined by 2.8%, 0.9%, and 3.7% respectively year-on-year.
Monitoring by Guojin Securities also indicates that from July 6 to 12, the national average hotel occupancy rate was 62.3%, a 3 percentage point decrease year-on-year; the average room rate was 209.6 RMB, down 3%; and the revenue per available room dropped by 5.9% year-on-year.
Since entering the traditional peak summer travel season in 2023, from the Shanghai Bund to famous ancient towns in Xinjiang, Qinghai, and various regions, tourist numbers have been low, and places appear desolate. Even in areas where tourists still exist, their spending power has significantly decreased, with many opting for extremely frugal “poor travel” modes, leading to many restaurants and hotels facing financial struggles. Various travel industry professionals have expressed online that this year is the worst in terms of business.
In fact, since the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown measures in early 2023, a new form of “poor travel” known as “guerrilla camping” has garnered attention, viewed as a manifestation of China’s poor economy and reduced consumer spending.