Shanghai residents Oneone Han and Pipi Tang arrived in Hong Kong before dawn \u2014 they were on a mission.<\/p>\n
Skipping a hotel, they showered at the airport and at 6am started ploughing through a packed travel itinerary that saw them hitting famous sightseeing locales until late into the night.<\/p>\n
They had a tight schedule and budget for their two-day visit to Hong Kong during China’s Golden Week holiday in May, and they were going to make every moment count.<\/p>\n
In 48 hours, they visited 14 destinations and spent the equivalent of only about $360.<\/p>\n
They are part of the growing trend among China’s Gen Z tourists that’s become known as “special forces” travel.<\/p>\n
Inspired by efficiency, endurance, and intensity of military units, their aim is to pack as many attractions as possible into short, cheap trips.<\/p>\n
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Oneone Han is one of the many “special forces”-style tourists looking for cheap and quick trips in or close to mainland China. (Supplied: Oneone Han)<\/p>\n
It’s helping Ms Han and Mr Tang chase their dream of visiting every Chinese province by 2026.<\/p>\n
“There are only four provinces left,” Ms Han said.<\/p>\n
“We feel fulfilled to visit many places in a short time while saving money.”<\/p>\n
Mr Tang said they planned their trips carefully.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“China’s well-developed rail network, especially high-speed trains, makes it possible for us to do quick visits to different cities,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Pipi Tang said he and Oneone Han planned their trips carefully.\u00a0 (Supplied: Pipi Tang)<\/p>\n
When travelling at more expensive times, or to popular places with high accommodation costs, Mr Tang said they would often take sleeper trains.<\/p>\n
“So it covers a night’s accommodation, and we don’t waste any of our daytime for activities,” he said.<\/p>\n
Tips shared on social media<\/p>\n
Special forces-style travel has been spreading on Chinese social media platforms like RedNote and Douyin, where users share tightly packed itineraries, travel tips, and budget hacks.<\/p>\n
Posts often include detailed guides with transport routes, photo spots and suggestions on meals and essentials to bring.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chinese tourists share itineraries and travel tips on RedNote. (Supplied: RedNote)<\/p>\n
Mingming Cheng, director of the Social Media Research Lab at Curtin University, said the trend reflected wider social pressures among young Chinese.<\/p>\n
Dr Cheng said many young professionals had limited budgets and time, but they still wanted to experience as much as possible.<\/p>\n
“There’s what we call ‘time anxieties,'” he said.<\/p>\n
“Particularly after COVID-19, people start having the idea that if I don’t experience [things] now, I will be regretful for the future.”<\/p>\n
Sleeping in McDonald’s<\/p>\n
On social media, special forces travellers have recommended some extreme strategies to save money, including sleeping in 24-hour McDonald’s restaurants, hot pot restaurant chain Haidilao, or internet cafes.<\/p>\n
In May, photos posted to social media platform Threads showing groups of Chinese tourists sleeping overnight at a McDonald’s in Hong Kong went viral.<\/p>\n
Some Hong Kong residents criticised the practice as “degrading” and said such “budget travellers” failed to boost the economy.<\/p>\n
Others called for McDonald’s to end its 24-hour operations.<\/p>\n
Chinese tourist Chloe Cai told the ABC she managed to spend only $106 during a three-day visit to Hong Kong in May, partly by staying in a McDonald’s one night. \u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Special forces”-style tourists sleep in a McDonald’s outlet to save on accommodation costs. (ABC News: Supplied)<\/p>\n
“The hotels in Hong Kong were too expensive during the holiday,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I decided to stay one night in McDonald’s and another day staying in a cheap hotel that cost $46 a night.”<\/p>\n
Ms Cai said she felt unsafe and couldn’t sleep at all during the night she spent at McDonald’s.<\/p>\n
“I won’t do it again. Next time I’ll go on a day trip to Hong Kong,” she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Cai also opted for convenience store food instead of restaurants and only visited free sites including Victoria Harbour and The Peak, which overlooks Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
To get around, she mostly walked, racking up more than 25,000 steps a day.<\/p>\n
Tourism up but sales down<\/p>\n
According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, 25.5 million mainlanders visited between January and August 2025 \u2014 an 11 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2024.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mimi Li said “special forces”-travel adds little revenue but may benefit tourism in the long-term. (Supplied: Mimi Li)<\/p>\n
But despite the significant rise in tourists, Hong Kong’s retail sales declined slightly.<\/p>\n
Data from the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department shows total retail sales for the first eight months of 2025 reached HK$245.1 billion ($48.81 billion), down 1.9 per cent from the previous year.<\/p>\n
Mimi Li, tourism professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said the special forces-type of travel had both positive and negative impacts on Hong Kong’s tourism industry.<\/p>\n
She said while budget travellers increased the number of arrivals, they created problems of over-tourism and overcrowding.<\/p>\n
“The spending per traveller has dropped sharply compared to previous years,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Many tourists no longer stay overnight, dine in local restaurants, or shop in Hong Kong, contributing only minimal revenue to the economy.”<\/p>\n