More travelers turning to car rentals: Trip.com

China's vehicle rental industry is recovering quickly as tourists prioritize safety and privacy when traveling due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to a report by Shanghai-based online travel operator Trip.com.

The change of focus among travelers has spurred the recovery of the industry as a large number of new car rental service users have been recorded, the report released on Thursday shows.

Vehicle rental has become the fastest-recovering business line of Trip.com, the travel operator announced.

People aged between 24 and 40 years account for 51 percent of renters, the report indicates. They spend about 950 yuan (US$136) on vehicle rentals, on average, per order.

Sanya, Chengdu, Shanghai, Haikou, Xi'an, Chongqing and Kunming are among the top 10 destinations for car renters, the report reveals.

Rental days have shortened in 2020 compared with last year due to the impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic, and there has been a 7 percent increase in rental orders lasting two days or less, according to the report.

The gross merchandise volume (GMV) growth of one-stop vehicle rental platforms in China is expected to reach 30 percent this year due to the revitalization of tourism in the second half of this year, the report said.

The travel operator estimates car rental GMV and the number of renters to grow by 30 and 40 percent, respectively, in 2020 from last year.

"I rented a car when traveling in Dali late last month with my son and husband because traveling in this way is safe and convenient," said Zou Lin, a 32-year-old Shanghai tourist. "It guarantees less contact with others and we could stop anywhere to see beautiful scenery."

Trip.com also released new vehicle rental standards related to deposits, refunds, fuel and washing on Thursday to address renters' concerns. Such standards had previously been lacking in the market.

"Vehicle condition, insurance indemnities, refunds and service quality are the most-concerned items among renters, in addition to price, based on our research," said Jiang Wen, chief operating officer of Trip.com's vehicle rental business.

More than 90 percent of users called for changes to the traditional rental deposit model, he said.

The standards provide free cancellations, vehicles under five years old, over 70 percent of fuel capacity when tourists pick up cars, washing before each rental, and unlimited mileage.

Renters can also have deposits exempted, based on their credit scores.

More than 500 car rental service providers have joined in Trip.com's scheme, which has more than 200,000 vehicles available for rental, it said.

It is expected that China's car rental market will grow 10 percent this year, surpassing 100 billion yuan by the end of this year.