Travel Coupons has become a widely used term today in China as some local governments attempt to boost tourism and spur consumption by issuing coupons amid the sluggish economy. But questions have been raised among the chaos and inconvenience accompanying the initiative. The main question is: Is it really the best way to attract tourists?

In the past four months, scenic cities including Nanjing, Hangzhou and Luoyang distributed travel coupons to both locals and citizens in other cities. Similar projects have also been launched in provinces such as Shanxi, Sichuan and Gansu.

As the May Day Holidays are again around the corner, it's expected that more provinces will follow suit and be distributing such coupons.

All these moves sound attractive. Take Hangzhou as an example, on April 20, it announced its intention to issue a further 100 million yuan (about 15 million US dollars) worth of coupons to bolster tourism. Before that, the city, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, had distributed coupons worth 150 million yuan (about 22 million US dollars) in February this year.

The distribution of travel coupons spurred not only consumer enthusiasm but also disorder. On April 11, the square in front of Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center fell into chaos because residents scrambled, pushing and yelling, for travel coupons dispensed there.

However, there is a darker issue surrounding the tickets distribution. If you enter the term of 'sell travel coupons' into Google or any other search engine, it yields almost 300 thousand results. Some netizens fortunate enough to receive the travel coupons are attempting to gain profit by selling them online.

Part of the reason for the slew of coupons available to purchase online could be the restrictive terms of use on the travel coupons. There are limitations on time and coverage of the tickets. Usually, tourists have to use them during definite periods of time or at designated locations. People whose timetables are too rigid to change might be forced to abandon their travel coupons. Some of them turn to the Internet to sell their useless coupons.

If local governments really want to boost economy, why don't they directly offer discounts instead of issuing coupons? This would enable local governments to make extensive savings on the coupon scheme. Money saved through this could benefit more citizens who have vacation plans.??

Most importantly, ticket prices to China's scenic and historical sites have increased sharply in recent years. For example, a ticket for the Yellow Mountain costs 230 yuan per person starting from May 1st. In 2002 the same ticket cost just 80 yuan. The price has nearly tripled in seven years.

The soaring prices have triggered criticism from the public. Offering discounted tickets would be an effective way to appease the discontent and appeal to tourists.

Despite the chaos and disorder when distributing the travel coupons, they do have an advantage. They help local governments to promote their tourism attractions.

However, officials should give greater consideration to future tourism policies. In my opinion, offering discounts is much better than issuing travel coupons. This is the best way to avoid such complaints as 'much said, little offered'.

(CRI April 27, 2009)