Encourage tourists to spend, don't force them

The management company of Meili Snow Mountain has decided to open the Feilai Temple scenic spot to tourists for free. This is a welcome development after their earlier move to build a wall there that prevented tourists from seeing the snow mountain unless they bought a ticket to a spot beyond the wall. For weeks now, complaints against similar moves at many tourist sites have flooded the internet.

Some companies that are in charge of managing the sites have responded by saying they did so to protect the interests of local villagers, but the tourists know better.

Building a wall might stop tourists from viewing the scenery, but it can prove to be counter-productive instead of compelling tourists to buy tickets to view the same. They would rather express their dissatisfaction on social networking sites, dissuading more tourists from visiting the attractions, which means a big loss of reputation for the place and decreasing revenue for local villagers who make a living by selling souvenirs and trinkets.

So where are the companies that claim to be protecting the interests of local villages? In the age of social networking sites, it is difficult to fox tourists or hide their true feedback about a place.

By opening up the spot to tourists for free, the Meili Snow Mountain management company has adopted a new thinking that will benefit all. With a bigger tourism inflow expected now, the company can expect its business in local costumes, exhibitions, outdoor sports to flourish, while local villagers will have more tourists renting their apartments and buying souvenirs.

That will help boost tourism and consumption. Instead of compelling people to spend money, the companies should lure them to do that, so that they get the best services while the service providers make profit. Meili Snow Mountain has set a good example for others to emulate.