Traveling to Hainan may be more expensive than to some Southeast
Asian destinations this Spring Festival, industry sources said
yesterday.
Tour agencies said most tours to the southern province have been
booked, and the most expensive trips cost 7,000 yuan (US$946) each,
about 1,000 yuan more than last year.
The price is about four times more than in other seasons and is
even higher than a tour to Phuket in Thailand.
The soaring prices of hotels and tour guides are the main reason
for the additional cost of Hainan tours. Four- and five-star hotels
in Sanya ask for 3,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan a night during Chinese
New Year, about twice the usual price, agencies said.
Prices are expected to drop about 1,000 yuan from February 10
and then return to the usual charges from February 15.
Although Hainan tour complaints have increased in recent years –
mostly over horrible service and vendors cheating tourists – the
natural attraction still lures tourists, according to Shanghai
Airlines Holiday Tours Co Ltd.
``The tropical scenes in Hainan are unique in China, with the
best beaches and the most beautiful blue sea,'' said Hu Xin,
supervisor of the company's public relations department.
Hu said that in recent years Hainan has built many first-class
hotels and entertainment facilities.
The recent batch of cold and snowy weather has also made many
people think of a warm holiday on the island, according to Hu.
``More people are choosing to travel during this Spring Festival
because the May Day holiday is cancelled,'' said Hu.
Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sichuan and Yunnan
are the other popular destinations for the festival and prices are
50 percent higher than usual, agencies said.
(Shanghai Daily January 28, 2008)