Fuelled by interesting travel services, international travellers to China are increasingly opting for unique experiential vacations. In fact, more and more people are buying customized travel packages, whether it is a leisurely river cruise, a historic tour, martial arts experience, or exploring the Silk Route. With more and more people becoming travel savvy, the traveller now demands specialists and not generalists.

To meet the demands of the travel-savvy generation, several China travel services are making an effort to entice them with experiential tailor-made packages. For example, the "14-day Journey to the Home of Martial Arts" is an inexpensive travel service for martial arts aficionados. The travel service includes round-trip air transportation from the U.S.; intra-China air and land transportation transfers; China airport departure taxes; 12-night hotel accommodations with daily buffet breakfasts; escorted sightseeing tours; Tang Dynasty show; Shanghai Acrobatic show; and round-trip transfers between airport and hotels; hotel taxes and service charges in each city.

Books written by Stein, Hedin, and others have generated interest in the oriental mystery of the Silk Route, and a number of international travellers are keen to visit these places. Travel services are capitalalizing on the benefits of the country's ancient culture. Packages like the "15-Day Ancient Silk Route Escapade" offer a distinctive experience of Beijing, Urumqi, Turpan, Dunhuan, Xi'an, and Shanghai. This includes round-trip transpacific air transportation from the U.S.; intra-China air and land transportation; 12 nights in deluxe and superior first-class hotels; one night aboard an overnight train in a private compartment; round-trip transfers between airport and hotels; hotel taxes and service charges in each city; sightseeing tours; and $100,000 Automatic Flight Insurance for transpacific air ticketed by PDT.

Yangtze River Cruises and few other travel services offer a downstream Yangtze River Cruise. The tour includes round-trip air transportation from San Francisco; intra-China air and land transportation transfers, sightseeing; five nights in superior first-class hotels; three nights aboard Victoria Cruises' ship; hotel taxes and service charges; cultural entertainment; and $100,000 Automatic Flight Insurance for transpacific air ticketed by PDT.

Americans visiting China are advised to register with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing or the nearest U.S. consulate. Registration will aid their posts in China to locate the travelers in the event of an emergency at home or in replacing a lost or stolen passport.