While the pandemic（流行病） has prevented people from traveling afar，there's a silver lining in that dark cloud：micro-tourism，or mini-vacations.
Micro-tourism refers to short-distance（短距离） travel in which people drive two or three hours to a nearby place and spend two or three days there. Instead of requiring a plan with lots of details and money，micro-tourism allows travelling to be simpler and less expensive.
According to China Daily，micro-tourism began catching on about seven years ago. With the pandemic prevention making long trips less convenient，more and more people choose to take short trips instead.
Mark Hou from Beijing is one of them. Before the pandemic，he preferred taking long trips abroad or visiting other places in China. But the pandemic meant he had to adapt （适应） to a new travel style.
"Traveling a long distance means you should take public transportation，like planes. But that would be likely to increase the chances of infection（感染）. " Hou said. "To stay healthy，short-distance travel is the better choice. " But that doesn't mean Hou has lost fun during his short trips.
After a long and tiring week at work，Hou likes to invite friends and drive to the countryside near Beijing on weekends. "Walking in the mountains or having a hot spring，we can get the fresh air and have some exercise，" Hou explained. "That can really move the stress out of our daily life. "
To meet the new needs，many cities have also created more chances for tourists. For example，Shanghai started a number of micro-tourism products for half-day and one-day tours，including exploring cultural heritage （遗产） sites in the city and experiencing country life.
"With these programs，young tourists no longer look to get 'distance'，but are willing to find new ways to experience their cities，" Feng Rao，head of a tourism research center，told People's Daily. Travel doesn't mean you need to go far away to find a place to relax. That's also the aim of the micro-tourism.
