Chinese warming up to holiday in Antarctica

Chinese tourists take pictures of seals in Antarctica in January.[Photo by Wang Yanan/China Daily]

More wealthy Chinese adventurers have scrambled to get to Antarctica during this Chinese New Year holiday season, with the country's biggest online travel agency reporting a sharp rise in bookings, which can cost more than 200,000 yuan ($29,150).

Since November, Ctrip has received more than 100 orders for its Antarctica tour packages, nearly double that of the same period a year ago.

According to Ctrip, the high-end cruise packages, or traveling by taking a direct flight from Chile to Antarctica instead of taking a cruise, have price tags ranging from about 170,000 yuan to 220,000 yuan.

Some Chinese tourists prefer tour packages that last more than 30 days and include tours of more South American countries.

"In recent years, Antarctica has become a more popular tourism destination, due to the rise of income of Chinese who seek more unique traveling experiences as well as media promotions," said Peng Liang, public relations director of Ctrip's vacation business department.

"With an increasingly mature development of tourism services in Antarctica and more advanced cruise facilities, health requirements have become lower," he said. "We received orders from tourists over 70 years old."