The peak period of Yichang study tour is approaching, and railway transportation may become the main force

Railway is one of the most important modes of transportation for modern tourism. In 2018, the passenger volume of Yichang East Station reached 9.8 million, with millions of tourists entering and leaving Yichang for tourism. In order to further strengthen the exchange and cooperation between tourism and railways, and improve the operational efficiency of the Han Yi Railway and the Yi Wan Railway, yesterday, Yichang East Station convened a meeting with some travel agencies in Yichang to discuss the upcoming peak of study tours in Yichang. Various travel agencies generally reported difficulties in booking group tickets and applying for tourist special trains, and planned countermeasures.

During the peak season of Yichang study tours, railways have become the "main force" of travel

In recent years, the development of study tours in Yichang's tourism market has been very rapid, with April, May, June, October, and November being the peak seasons for study tours. The reporter learned that the highest peak of Qu Yuan's hometown scenic area receives up to 1800 students for study in one day. Last year, the Qu Yuan Hometown Scenic Area received over 110000 students, mainly from Jingzhou, on study tours.

There are not only those who come to Yichang for study tours, but also those who go out from Yichang. According to data released by travel agencies, as of May 15th, there have been as many as 100000 students from Yichang who have gone on study tours this year. Moreover, in June, October, and November of the second half of the year, the number of students who come in or go out for study tours will experience explosive growth.

According to the introduction from Yichang East Station, in accordance with the requirements of various travel agencies, in the first half of this year, with the strong cooperation of Wuhan Railway Bureau, Yichang East Station has successively opened tourist special trains to various directions such as the Silk Road Ancient Road and Shanhaiguan. It plays a positive role in promoting the development of key tourist attractions and travel agencies in Yichang. In the second half of the year and beyond, the railway side hopes to cooperate better with various travel agencies.

Group ticket booking and Yichang tourism special train application become the focus

The rise of study tours has also brought considerable pressure to railway transportation. How to ensure that passengers can walk and walk well? The railway and travel agencies had in-depth exchanges. According to a representative from Tianma Travel Agency who attended the seminar, the agency mainly focuses on group tours and often encounters situations where group tickets cannot be booked. It is hoped that the railway department will increase its investment in transportation capacity. At the same time, the person raised that college students now enjoy train ticket discounts when taking trains during winter and summer vacations. Can students participating in study tours also enjoy certain discounts? In addition, as primary and secondary school students are generally taller nowadays, can the railway department relax the height requirements for these students when taking trains?

Tourist trains have the characteristics of timing, fixed-point, and fixed route, which can leverage the advantage of "multiple trips on one line", that is, one tourist route can provide multiple travel options. Therefore, tourist trains are highly favored by tour groups and major travel agencies. Travel agency personnel suggest that although the procedures for applying for tourist trains are very simple, the success rate is very low. How can we improve the success rate of tourist train applications? At present, the study tours in Yichang mainly focus on directions such as Changsha, Xi'an, Beijing, Hefei, and Nanjing. However, it is particularly difficult to buy train tickets for directions such as Changsha and Xi'an. Either you buy long-distance or short distance tickets, or there are no tickets available.

It is understood that although it is not currently the peak travel season, group tickets are still very tight. Some travel agencies have to switch to other modes of transportation or process refunds directly due to inability to book. This invisibly increases operating costs or causes significant losses for travel agencies.

Exploring a new mode of cooperation for "road tours" in Yichang

Yichang East Station connects the Jiaoliu Line, Hanyi Line, and Yiwan Line, and is the largest railway station in the Three Gorges region of the Yangtze River. It is also a regional railway hub connecting Sichuan, Hunan, and Hubei provinces. The Yichang railway department hopes to play a greater role in exploring new models of "road travel" cooperation.

At the seminar, the railway department recorded the demands and good suggestions of various travel agencies on file. Some on-site answers were provided by the railway department, such as whether buses can go up to the second floor platform? Will customers be punished by traffic police on the second floor? The railway department stated on the spot that they will communicate with the traffic police department as soon as possible to ensure that the bus is not penalized during the boarding and alighting period, but must immediately leave the scene after boarding and alighting passengers.

Regarding the purchase of group tickets and train attachments, the railway department stated that in order to ensure successful applications, major travel agencies should submit their applications at least 30 days in advance to facilitate the railway department's adjustment of transportation capacity and ticket source allocation. The railway department stated that they will report to the higher-level railway department on issues such as student ticket discounts for study tours and increasing the deployment of special tourist trains.

The relevant person in charge of the railway department stated that tourism cooperation is an important aspect of cooperation between Yichang Railway and various travel agencies in Yichang. They will establish a long-term cooperation mechanism, designate a dedicated person to be responsible, and make the docking and cooperation between the two sides more smooth, in order to create a new growth pole for tourism and railway development.

In the next few years, Yichang, as the second regional high-speed rail hub city in Hubei Province, has promising prospects. The Zhengzhou Wanzhou high-speed railway to Yichang connecting line is about to start construction. The feasibility study report for the mainline high-speed railway, Hulunbuir, has been approved. The Wuhan Yichang section of the Yangtze River high-speed railway is currently under construction. In the future, the Yangtze River high-speed railway and Hulunbuir will form a cross in Yichang, which will allow passengers from all directions to conveniently and quickly take high-speed trains to Yichang, this beautiful Xiajiang city, for leisure tourism or investment and development.

News source: Three Gorges Tourism Network