For Ge Mu, the most exciting and satisfactory thing about the World Cup did not lie in the tournament itself, but in getting some hardcore fans to Germany to see the games live during the recently ended football classic.

Ge, Marketing Operations Supervisor of the Beijing CAISSA International Travel Service Co. Ltd., organized a 500-member tour group to go to Germany to see the football carnival. "It gave me great pleasure and excitement to make a successful World Cup tourism product," she said.

Ge is involved in an increasingly promising business--what industry insiders term the "high-end tourism market"--featuring luxury consumption for group tours. For the World Cup, the Beijing CAISSA International Travel Service Co. Ltd. designed one-week trips to see matches involving strong teams from such countries as Brazil, Argentina, Italy and the Netherlands, with the lowest cost at 30,000 yuan and the maximum at 50,000 yuan, watching one match only.

The travel agency that Ge works for was formed in 2003 as a venture between Germany-based CAISSA Tourist Group and China's Poly Group Corp. In Ge's view, the World Cup tourism product was something that CAISSA had to offer because all the conditions were favorable. It is also a good opportunity for brand promotion, especially at a time when luxury tourism is becoming vital to the competitiveness of travel agencies. In the long run, high-end products can generate larger and more sustainable profits.

High-end tourism, said Wei Xiao'an, Deputy Director of the China Tourism and Culture Resource Development and Promotion Association, features individualization, as well as high cost. Trips are tailored to satisfy individual needs.

As an increasing number of Chinese aim for a higher quality of life, and can afford it, tourism activities are evolving from sightseeing to a higher level of satisfaction. These people are not satisfied with a hurried or regimented travel arrangement, and the decisive factors in choosing a tourism product come down to the uniqueness and comfort of a trip, which overtakes the previous major consideration of cost.

"Regular tours are too compact and we feel we are pushed to travel. We seldom get to just enjoy ourselves," said Yang Hong, a piano teacher from Guangdong Province. She wanted to travel to Hainan Province last year with the parents of a friend, and asked the travel agency to arrange a package that involved a four-star hotel, independent transportation and no shopping. "Though it cost much more than previous trips, the tailored service was worthwhile as we all felt satisfied," said Yang.

Zhang Ping, a businessman in Beijing who just returned from a European trip, said high-end tourism has higher standards for food and lodging, a loose travel schedule and unique activities. "It's costly but we really appreciate the heartfelt enjoyment brought to us when we tourists can delve deeply into the local conditions and customs," said Zhang.