App has big savings for those who don't travel for holiday

It's a good idea — even fashionable and profitable — to limit one's travel during the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday.

Hubei Culture and Tourism Investment Group released a mobile app on Wednesday to help people stay close to home. The app, called Travel in Hubei, comes with a 1 million yuan ($150,000) user allowance, which can be applied to the cost of entry at tourism spots, hot springs and skating venues, as well as at hotels and restaurants. The deal will run until Lantern Festival on Feb 28.

Promotions include coupons for new users and certain merchandise and sales. Bar codes on the app will be available for scanning at 32 tourism spots and 30 hotels under the investment group.

As the only reservation platform for culture and tourism spots within the province, the Travel in Hubei app can help local residents enjoy the holiday without traveling long distances, which helps prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The app, including a mini program, is a part of the Travel in Hubei with a Mobile Phone program led by the provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

It is currently available in various app stores.

Tang Ziye contributed to the story.