The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Tourism Annual Pass went on sale on November 27, and by yesterday afternoon nearly 10,000 had been sold. Zhou Boru, deputy director of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Tourism Annual Pass Issuance Office, told reporters: “Compared to previous years, this year’s sales have doubled. After removing 37 scenic spots with low quality and frequent complaints, we have added 40 new scenic spots this year.”
Reporters learned that the currently available Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Tourism Annual Pass mainly comes in two types: card tickets and booklet tickets, covering a total of 135 scenic spots. Among them, the booklet ticket is an 80-yuan commemorative edition that does not require photo attachment or real-name purchase, and can be used once per scenic spot per year. In addition, other types including a 60-yuan senior ticket, a 100-yuan group ticket, and a 130-yuan regular ticket allow unlimited free entry to 129 scenic spots, where the total single-entry price would otherwise amount to 4,871 yuan.
“The 129 scenic spots are not limited to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region but also include multiple out-of-province spots such as Huaxi Village,” said Zhou Boru. The 2016 Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Tourism Annual Pass has also included five fitness tourism projects for the first time. For example, admission to Wendu Water City normally priced at 298 yuan is only 140 yuan with the pass, and its ski projects are also offered at a 30% discount. The shooting range in Changping also offers an 20% discount.
According to Zhou Boru, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Tourism Annual Pass has been issued continuously for 11 years as of 2016, with a total of 20 distribution outlets. “We print 100,000 copies every year, and will print more if demand is high.” Zhou admitted that the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Tourism Annual Pass Issuance Office has established an elimination mechanism for scenic spots, removing those with low quality and many complaints. Last year, 37 scenic spots were removed and 40 new ones added.
In addition, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Tourism Annual Pass Issuance Office will this year collaborate with the Beijing Municipal Parks and Forestry Bureau to launch a 200-yuan joint annual pass, which includes 121 scenic spots in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and 19 municipal parks, including the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven.