Bookings for factory tours in China are filling quickly, and observers say industrial tourism is establishing itself as a category of travel product.

The sites include vehicle assembly lines, appliance plants and food and beverage factories. The sight of automated equipment in motion is consumed as spectacle, and purchases after visits are reported.

Companies open their floors for two reasons: to demonstrate confidence in quality directly, and to create brand experience without advertising spend.

Demand has shifted too. As interest moves from sightseeing to travel in which visitors see and learn something, family and school-group visits have increased.

Opening a production line carries management burdens. Safe walkways, separation of hygienic zones and protection of trade secrets must all be designed in, so not every plant can take part.

Industrial tourism exists elsewhere as well. Car and brewery tours in Germany and Japan, and food and cosmetics plant programmes in Korea, have run for years.

For Sinophone families in Korea, it is an option that can fit into holiday visits to China, though slots often fill early and should be checked before plans are fixed.