Cultural enrichment is the key

Tourism in China is too reliant on ticket revenue. Industry insiders, who have criticized this reliance, believe that tourism's future lies in lowering ticket prices and enriching tourism products. However, unlike national parks and scenic areas in the US and Europe, tickets have a stranglehold, said Zhan Dongmei, an expert with the China Tourism Academy.

Tourism in developed countries puts more emphasis on social benefits. These governments keep lowering prices to promote education and the cultural enrichment of their citizens.

In China, government investment in tourist attractions is limited. As a consequence, ticket revenue has become a major source - often the only source - of income and local governments depend on it, Zhan said.