Originally Posted by
moondog
Wow, people have always told me that the park entrance fee is on the steep side, but I was thinking more along the lines of y120; y220 is approaching Disneyland territory. Is it a private enterprise, per chance? (This would explain a great deal.)
No, it's a UNESCO World Heritage site and has involvement directly from the Central Government, not just left to the locals.
Anybody who knows me, knows how cynical I've become about the ridiculous hikes in entrance fees around China, particularly over the last 2 years. Lots of sites that frankly, just aren't worth the fee and whose upkeep and presentation don't reflect where all the revenue stream is going. So I was prepared to be very irked at Jiuzhaigou.
However, once I actually got inside and saw how well the infrastructure was planned, executed, and maintained...and that the high entrance fee was actually being used to keep the place up and improved...I was OK with the RMB 220. There is obviously some sort of accountability going on at this park and the funds are being put to good use. There are also huge tracts of land that are part of this park that most tourists never see, but which also have upkeep costs.
I think The Powers That Be need to hold the line at RMB 220 though. If anything, I feel that the RMB 90 ecobus fee should be lowered (maybe to half that rate). Not sure why it is this high, unless they are using it to actually pay off the bus purchase debt.
I do think they should come up with a reduced-rate Second Day Pass for the on-season, say for maybe an additional RMB 80-100. (They have one for the off season at very low rate.) The incremental revenue would outstrip the incremental "burden" of those minority of park goers who would exercise that option. They could have a separate queue for this requiring presentation of the previous day's validated entry ticket. Most of the users would be foreign and Chinese independent and small group visitors. The big tour bus groups appear to roll in and roll out in one day, and that sort of scheduling isn't likely to change.
Entry and bus fees aside, where one can save money is by taking in your own snacks (and to some extent, drinks/water), and avoid eating in the expensive Tourist Service Center in the middle of the park. And don't blow a wad on overpriced hotels that won't do anything to enhance your stay.