Is it really that good of a deal? Jinmen-Xiamen 4-day tour “zero-cost travel” sparks online buzz

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

What was originally a package tour to Kinmen and Xiamen costing over ten thousand yuan has, through a collaboration between a travel agency and a mainland China tourism sponsor,become entirely “zero-cost” — including round-trip airfare, local meals, accommodation, and more.Participants only need to pay for travel insurance and a guide and leader tip totaling 1,000 yuan. As soon as the itinerary was posted online, people scrambled to sign up, though some have raised questions about the quality of the trip and whether it might be compromised as a result.

Traveling from Xiamen to Kinmen, visiting three-story tulou clusters, taking speedboats to explore the labyrinth of Gulangyu Island, and seeing the historic Western-style buildings in Shuitou Settlement — such a 4-day Jinmen-Xiamen tour would normally cost at least 10,000 to 12,000 yuan. Now, a travel agency is offering a free zero-cost itinerary, attracting many eager participants.

In fact, as early as last year, the travel agency had launched a similar free “Taiwan Million People Tour.” This year’s brochure states that the offer is open to adults aged 20 to 70, with departures available from northern, central, and southern Taiwan. Optional paid items cost 3,500 yuan but are voluntary. The zero-cost portion includes round-trip airfare, ferry tickets, taxes, attraction entry fees, transportation, meals, and hotel accommodation.

The brochure specifies thatparticipants only need to pay 200 yuan for travel and medical insurance, plus 800 yuan in guide and leader tips, totaling just 1,000 yuan for the 4-day trip.After deducting insurance and tips, it’s essentially free of charge.

A tour guide who led trips last year praised the itinerary offline, noting that while there would inevitably be some shopping stops, the operator specifically emphasized that there would be no forced purchases. Visiting the travel agency in person, one finds that many mothers and elderly individuals are scrambling to sign up, but the agency states that inquiries for the million-people free tour have skyrocketed and spots are already full, with only waitlisted backups currently available.

Whether the travel agency’s zero-cost tours are truly a good deal has sparked online discussion, with netizens also questioning the quality of the travel experience. For now, it’s a wait-and-see situation — real feedback will have to come from those who actually go on the trips.