A new Hong Kong bus tour offers to lull riders to sleep, selling out the first 5-hour "Sleeping Bus Tour" last Saturday, the Associated Press reported.
The 47-mile ride was inspired by exhausted commuters who often fall asleep on public transportation.
Kenneth Kong, Ulu Travel marketing and business development manager and organizer of the bus tour said the tour was created to bring relaxation to those unable to sleep well.
"When we were brainstorming new tours, I saw a social media post from my friend saying that he was stressed out by his work, he couldn't sleep at night. But when he was traveling on the bus, he was able to sleep well. His post inspired us to create this tour that lets passengers just sleep on the bus," Kong said to the Associated Press.
According to Dr. Shirley Li, principal investigator of the Sleep Research Clinic and Laboratory at the University of Hong Kong, this new tour gives sleep-deprived individuals who tend to associate travel with sleep a place to rest.
"People in Hong Kong don't have enough time to sleep. That's why we have to kind of use other times to sleep, which is our daily commute, especially when we are traveling on public transport. For some people, they may tend to associate public transport with their sleep. And that's why they found it easier to fall asleep on the bus," Li said to the Associated Press.
Tickets range from $13 to $51 per person and include a goodie bag with an eye mask and earplugs, with upper or lower deck choices.
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
Some passengers came prepared, bringing their own blankets and changing their shoes to slippers, while others brought travel pillows.
"I have been suffering from insomnia so I am here to try and get some sleep," said 25-year-old Anson Kong, one of the passengers on the first bus tour.
He said that the tour was a good idea and "more interesting" than he expected.
On Saturday's tour, the bus stopped so passengers could take photos at scenic spots on the city's Lantau Island. One stop was the aircraft maintenance area near Hong Kong's airport, where passengers can snag selfies with aircraft in the background.
Another passenger, Marco Yung, said that he joined the tour because he usually falls asleep on long-distance bus journeys, saying it was a "great opportunity" to get some sleep.
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