In recent years, the elderly who focus on "slow travel" have gradually become the main force of tourism, and the "silver train" has become a hot word. In January this year, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the China Railway Group and nine other departments jointly issued the "Action Plan on the Increase of Silver-Haid Tourism Trains to Promote the Development of Service Consumption". At present, a series of tourist trains full of silver-haired groups have set off one after another.

  In Wuhan, Hubei, a "silver-haired special train" that has staggered peak travel before the May Day holiday will start a four-day and three-night trip to western Hubei. According to statistics from the train crew, among the more than 600 passengers on this "Silver-haired Special Train", passengers over 60 years old account for as much as 90%, and the highest age is 82 years old.

  Du Xing, technician of the ticket shop of Hankou Station of the Wuhan Bureau of the National Railway: For this group of elderly passengers, our station also specially provides "three specialized" services, namely special entry channels, special travel services and special waiting services.

  Since mid-March, the Wuhan Bureau has launched 15 special tourism trains, of which more than half of them are silver-haired special trains. With the normal launch of the "silver-haired special train", the elderly tourist group is sweeping the cultural and tourism markets in various places with a surging trend, becoming the "newly popular top star" in the cultural and tourism circle.

  The normalized operation of silver-haired special trains has greatly activated the cultural and tourism markets in cities along the route. Travel agencies also continue to improve their service system. Outside the scenic spot, buses and trains have achieved seamless connection; within the scenic spot, a route with reasonable itinerary and no backtracks is created to provide them with more refined and age-friendly tour guide services. The silver-haired special train has also injected new vitality into the cultural and tourism markets of cities along the train.

[Editor in charge: Zhang Qiaosu]