Talking Travel: China Creates a Naughty List, Some Travel Sites Overwhelmed by Tourists
Vegas, Baby!
Tired of stacking your chips in Macau? Beijing-based gambling addicts rejoice. Hainan Airlines has announced a new non-stop service between China’s capital and Sin City. For those planning Hangover-themed bachelor parties or simply wanting to travel to a place (other than the South Gate of Ritan Park) where what goes on there, stays there, Vegas is now only a 13-hour hop across the Pacific (12 hours on the return leg).
For what it’s worth, Hainan’s aggressive route development has really made a difference for those who travel regularly to the United States. My usual destination is a small town about two hours north of Boston. Hainan’s 787 non-stop to Boston reduces my total travel time from nearly 24 hours to about 16 hours door-to-door. Still a haul, but it also means no more layovers in San Francisco or the Ninth Circle of Hell known as Chicago O’Hare Airport. No more picking up bags, running the gauntlet of immigration, homeland security, and customs only to recheck the same luggage. One flight, one seat, one trip through security.
Those worried about the safety of long haul flights might take some solace from the fact that there were no casualties among the passengers and crew of Emirates 777 when it was forced to make an emergency crash landing in Dubai this past week. Despite a fire which ultimately destroyed the entire plane, all 275 people on board were safely evacuated although sadly one emergency responder was killed while fighting the blaze.
In other news, don’t mess with The Mouse. Two months ago, Wanda Chairman Wang Jianlin scoffed at the chances of Disney succeeding in China. This week, Wanda has announced that its indoor movie theme park in Wuhan has been closed for “upgrades and renovations,” only 14 months after the park opened. No word on a re-opening date.
Some of China’s most fragile sites are in danger of being overwhelmed by tourists. China Daily this week reported that more than 6.8 million tourists traveled to Tibet in the first half of 2016, an increase of 31 percent over the same period in 2015.
Meanwhile, Gansu’s Mogao Caves, home to beautiful frescoes, sculptures, and other examples of ancient Buddhist art, have also seen a surge in visitors. Despite efforts by site officials to limit the number of tickets sold each day, over 598,000 travelers have visited the site since the start of 2016 including a record 19,301 visitors in a single day last month.
Finally, those on China’s Tourist Blacklist for bad behavior may find their travel plans curtailed in the future. According to a draft of new travel regulations released earlier this week, tourists with names on the Naughty List for “Uncivilized Travel” may start to face restrictions on air travel, signing up for tour groups, or even be banned outright from international travel. Other proposed regulations deal with unscrupulous travel companies and websites.
Photo: mapsofworld.com
