Talking Travel: Your semi-regular roundup of the latest transport-related news in Beijing.
Road ahead may be bumpy for Six Flags China
You could say that entering China has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for regional amusement park giant Six Flags, which first announced plans to launch in China in 2015. The group has about a dozen parks in the pipeline, including one right here in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, which will compete directly with Universal Studios.
The Zhejiang Six Flags theme park, about 72 kilometers from Shanghai, is the closest to Shanghai, and while it was due to open this summer, problems started last year when Riverside Group, the company overseeing the project in China, was overwhelmed by legal disputes. Six Flags has encountered similar hurdles in Dubai, leading to the cancellation of plans to build a park there last April.
Now, Riverside’s deal has been halted as the company apparently finds itself unable to pay its debts. It could mean that a construction site in Zhejiang will become an abandoned ghost park – but it’s not the first of its kind in the country.
Visiting the UAE just got easier for everyone
While it doesn’t have Six Flags either, there are still plenty of reasons to visit Dubai. Fortunately, traveling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) won’t be such a hassle for the average traveler, thanks to the country’s new tourist visa scheme.
The new tourist visa, which will be implemented in the first quarter of this year, will be valid for five years and will be available to tourists from all countries. Previously, the validity period was up to 90 days. Also, Mexican passport holders do not need a visa to enter the country.
However, travelers should note that in light of recent tensions, the U.S. Embassy in the UAE has tweets “U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and maintain good situational awareness.” Still, the U.S. State Department website kept the travel advisory level at 1, saying travelers should only take normal precautions.
New routes to Paris as airlines continue to tilt toward Daxing
The airline’s slow but steady transition from Beijing Capital International Airport to Daxing International Airport continues. It is worth noting that starting this month, Delta Air Lines will transfer daily flights from Seattle and Detroit from Beijing to the southern airport. At the same time, Air Macau changed its daily flight from Macau to Beijing to fly from Macau to Daxing, but the daily flight to this region will continue to land at Beijing Capital International Airport.
At the same time, China Eastern Airlines will launch a daily flight to Paris from March 29, which will be the airline’s first flight from Daxing. For more details on which airlines and services are expected to transition to Daxing, click here.
Beijing Capital International Airport Passenger Rapid Transit System Upgrade and Reconstruction
Finally, big news for people mover enthusiasts, as Beijing Capital International Airport has just signed a 215 million yuan contract with Nanjing-based CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems to upgrade the airport’s People Mover System Automation System. The system upgrade, which will help move people between terminals, includes adjustments to 18 existing cars and nine new cars, the Rail Gazette reported.
read: Make the Forbidden City Fun for Kids: Gardens, Sketches, and Dragons
Image: Six Flags, CCAonline
