Local govt seek tourists with free admission

Two local governments in Central China announced a free-entry policy to their popular tourist sites to attract more visitors.

Cheng Danfeng, vice-mayor of Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, said that students under the age of 19 are expected to be able to enter the city's scenic spots for free in the near future. Zhangjiajie became world-renowned after part of the blockbuster 2009 movie Avatar was filmed there.

Zhou Zemeng, deputy director of the city's tourism bureau, said the plan, which the local government is discussing, will cancel the admission fees of two major tourist resorts — Tianmenshan National Forest Park and the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area — for students under 19 who have a valid ID, according to a report in the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the government of Songxian county in Henan province held a press conference on Saturday to announce that five of its tourists sites will be free to tourists from different parts of the country as of April 20.

The county government said that before Oct 30, tourists from designated regions can visit its scenic spots at designated time for free. For example, residents from Beijing can visit the appointed scenic sites without cost from April 22 to 28.