Prince Kung’s Mansion and others reserve sufficient offline tickets for the elderly. "Aging-friendly" samples have been launched in many places in Beijing]
investigation background
Recently, some netizens reported that the Palace Museum can only be visited by appointment, and the elderly who do not know how to make an appointment online cannot enter the Palace Museum.
In response to this, the Palace Museum said that the elderly can go to the comprehensive service window for consultation, and if there are spare tickets, they can apply for the same-day ticket to visit.
A reporter from the Beijing News learned that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has issued clear regulations on this, requiring that the traditional offline ticket purchase method be retained, and the case for aging has been introduced for two consecutive years.
At the same time, the reporter found that many cultural venues and park scenic spots in Beijing have set up corresponding plans.
Scenic spots such as Prince Kung’s Mansion and Xiangshan Park have reserved offline tickets for elderly tourists.
Survey 1
Old people can make an appointment through relatives and friends
Recently, some netizens reported that the Palace Museum can only be visited online in advance by appointment.
On February 21, the reporter contacted several scenic spots in Beijing about the situation.
An official customer service officer of the Palace Museum told reporters that tourists do need to make an appointment online to buy tickets in advance to enter the Palace Museum.
For the elderly who do not know how to make reservations online, relatives and friends can make reservations on their behalf, or consult at the comprehensive service window of the Forbidden City. If there are spare tickets, they can apply for same-day tickets.
"However, there is no guarantee that there will be surplus tickets offline, so it is recommended to make an appointment online in advance." The above-mentioned staff member said.
The Badaling Great Wall scenic spot also only provides online booking channels, but the scenic spot has an offline consultation service window. With the assistance of the on-site staff, elderly people who are inconvenient to operate can scan the QR code to book free tickets according to the number of remaining tickets. The booking process is the same as that of ordinary people , ID verification is required to make an appointment.
In the afternoon of the same day, the staff of the National Museum of China also told reporters that the National Museum can only accept online reservations from tourists 1-7 days in advance. ID card to enter.
investigation 2
Some museums retain offline ticket windows
Liu Songtao, Director of the Safety Management Office of Prince Kung’s Mansion Scenic Area, told reporters that since the implementation of online ticket sales in 2019, due to the difficulty of using smart devices for the elderly, Prince Kung’s Mansion has specially set up a caring service window for the elderly. Buy half-price tickets, do not need to make an appointment, and use your ID card to visit, so as to help the elderly solve the problems of not being able to buy tickets and entering the museum.
"Online ticket purchases are used to better control passenger flow, but special circumstances must also be considered. There is a limit to the number of online ticket sales, but there is no limit to offline ticket purchases for the elderly, and sufficient tickets are reserved for them." Liu Songtao explain.
According to Liu Songtao, in addition to the love window, the scenic spot of Prince Gong’s Mansion has also set up a comprehensive service window to provide comprehensive services for tourists who do not bring or forget to bring their ID cards.
"When implementing online ticket sales quotas, different scenic spots have different management regulations, but we always adhere to the concept of empathy. Considering the difficulties of tourists coming from all over the world, scenic spots should try their best to meet the requirements while controlling the passenger flow. The needs of tourists make them have no regrets.” Liu Songtao said that at present, Prince Kung’s Mansion receives about 10,000 tourists every day, and it will even reach about 20,000 on weekends, and there are about 200-300 elderly people who buy tickets offline every day.
The reporter also consulted several museums affiliated to Beijing, and learned that some museums have reserved offline ticket windows, and tickets can be purchased directly on the spot, such as Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum, Beijing Automobile Museum, and Imperial Examination Plaque Museum; There is no need to make an appointment for the exhibition, and you can directly enter the museum with your old age certificate, such as the Beijing Art Museum and the Capital Museum.
investigation 3
Many parks reserve places for seniors to visit
The relevant person in charge of the Service Management Office of the Beijing Park Management Center told the Beijing News reporter that for the safety and comfort of visiting, each park scenic spot has set up a daily maximum carrying capacity and instantaneous carrying capacity, and implements daily total amount control and real-time dynamic management. Ensure the safety and experience of every visitor entering the park.
Since April 29, 2020, all municipal parks in Beijing have realized "online real-name reservation and time-sharing ticket entry" for ticket purchases.
In this way, the crowding in the park is avoided, and the environment for tourists to visit the park is safer and more comfortable.
Elderly people over the age of 60 belong to the policy-based free-ticket group. In order to facilitate the elderly to visit the park, from the beginning of the policy implementation, each park has adopted a flexible reservation method. You can directly swipe your ID card and old age card to enter the park, and the registration appointment and verification can be completed simultaneously.
That is to say, the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven Park, Beihai Park, Zhongshan Park, Jingshan Park, Fragrant Hills Park, Beijing Zoo, Taoranting Park, Yuyuantan Park and National Botanical Garden have reserved places for the elderly over 60 years old every day. You only need to swipe your ID card or Beijing Tong-Pension Assistance Card on the all-in-one inspection machine, and you can make an appointment on the spot and verify your admission to the park.
For special groups who need to buy tickets and do not know how to use mobile phones, the comprehensive service windows in the above-mentioned park gate areas can provide auxiliary services such as ordering on behalf of customers or exchanging tour vouchers.
"What needs to be noted here is that making an appointment in advance does not have to be made one day in advance. If there are spare tickets, everyone can make an appointment on the spot."
The relevant person in charge said that in most cases on weekdays, the park cannot reach the maximum capacity, and the number of tickets reserved for on-site appointment registration for the elderly is sufficient. The elderly can directly swipe their ID card or senior card to register on the spot.
However, it should be noted that during key tourist peak periods such as Yuyuantan cherry blossom season and Xiangshan red leaf viewing period, as well as tourist hotspot parks such as the Golden Week holiday and the Summer Palace on key holidays, it is recommended that tourists make reservations in advance and visit at different peaks, so as to better protect everyone. rights and interests, to prevent the situation that the park has reached the maximum capacity and cannot enter the park without making an appointment in advance.
to visit
Some elderly people still need their children to make appointments on their behalf
On February 21, a reporter from the Beijing News found on-site interviews at the China Arts and Crafts Art Museum and the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum (referred to as the Art Museum) that many elderly people are keen to visit cultural venues such as museums, art galleries, and memorial halls, or To pass the time, or to live life to the fullest.
Mr. Wang, 72 years old this year, is very interested in exhibitions and exhibits in the fields of culture, history, crafts, and fine arts. After retirement, he likes to visit various cultural venues.
He expressed his deep impression on the jade carvings and wood carvings displayed in the Gongmei Museum.
Ms. Zhang, who is in her sixtieth year, arrived at the Gongmei Museum yesterday morning and entered the museum through an on-site appointment.
"Isn't our elderly life just strolling around and wandering around? I don't think we can always go to the park. We should also visit these places."
There are also elderly people visiting in pairs.
Ms. Li and her husband are both 74 years old. Before retirement, they were interested in carving and jadeware, and they also have some collections.
"After retirement, I will go to any new exhibitions and activities. My husband and I can accept all kinds of new things."
During the interview, the reporter learned that for some elderly people who are proficient in using smart phones, it is not difficult to make an appointment online.
However, there are still some elderly people who cannot make online appointments by themselves and need others to make appointments on their behalf.
For example, Ms. Li told reporters that although she and her lover can use smart phones, they still have to ask their children for help when they need to make an appointment for a visit.
The reporter learned from the staff of the Museum of Art and Design that if the elderly group cannot make an appointment online, they can make an appointment on the spot.
Mr. Guo and Ms. Wang from Shijiazhuang, Hebei, came to Beijing for fun. Yesterday, they planned to go to the nearby Chinese Communist Party History Exhibition Hall first, but because they didn’t know that they needed to make an online reservation in advance, they couldn’t go in.
When Laigong Art Museum learned that it was possible to make an appointment on the spot, the two happily entered.
The two elderly people also mentioned that the elderly are relatively weak in terms of information acquisition, and it is likely that they do not know which venues need to be booked in advance and a few days in advance, so they were not able to enter the original destination to visit.
focus on
Many departments have issued a document requesting to retain the traditional appointment method
In recent years, intelligence has been increasingly applied to social life, but at the same time, the "digital divide" has also become a "hurdle" in the daily life of the elderly.
In order to effectively solve the outstanding difficulties encountered by the elderly in using intelligent technology, on November 24, 2020, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Implementation Plan on Effectively Solving the Difficulties in Using Intelligent Technology for the Elderly", which clearly proposed that in various daily life scenarios In the process, the traditional service methods familiar to the elderly must be preserved.
In December of the same year, the General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Office of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage issued a notice on the implementation of the "Implementation Plan on Effectively Solving the Difficulties of the Elderly in Using Smart Technology", clarifying that cultural venues and tourist attractions should be for the elderly who have not made an appointment in advance. Reserve a limited number of walk-in or on-site ticket spots.
The part of the notice on the rectification work arrangement proposes to ensure that various traditional services are fully guaranteed, and to solve the problem that the elderly cannot enter cultural venues and tourist attractions due to difficulties in using intelligent technology.
Clearly retain the traditional way of making appointments.
For public libraries, museums, cultural centers, art galleries, memorial halls, theaters and other cultural venues and tourist attractions that require advance reservations, manual windows and dedicated telephone lines should be reserved to facilitate on-site and telephone reservations for the elderly.
At the same time, others are allowed to make appointments on their behalf.
The design of the reservation system for cultural venues and tourist attractions should allow family members and friends of the elderly to help make reservations on their behalf. The elderly can enter cultural venues and tourist attractions with screenshots of valid reservation codes and ticket purchase information on the day.
The notice also specifically mentions that green passages will be opened at the entrances of cultural venues and tourist attractions, and a certain number of reservation-free entry or on-site ticket purchases will be reserved for the elderly who fail to make an appointment in advance, and cash purchases will be reserved at the ticket window.
If the flow of people in the venue reaches the peak of the current limit, explain to the elderly patiently, and at the same time do a good job in diverting the flow in the venue, and arrange for the elderly to enter later.
In February last year, the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Relics paid attention to the fact that some museums were not very friendly to the elderly, and issued the "Notice of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Relics on Further Improving the Service Level of Museums Suitable for the Aging", which clearly stated: "All museums should further Improve the level of reception services for the elderly, further improve the reservation mechanism, and on the basis of promoting online reservations, retain manual windows and dedicated telephone lines, and reserve a certain number of offline reservation-free entry or ticket purchase places for elderly audiences.”
sound
Solving the problem of booking tickets for the elderly is inseparable from the joint efforts of the whole society
Professor Deng Aimin, Dean of the Tourism Research Institute of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, believes that in the high-tech era, new technologies emerge one after another, and intelligent and digital management make our society operate more efficiently.
However, taking the problem of "difficulty for the elderly to buy tickets offline" as a typical example, solving the problem of "left behind" for the elderly in the digital age has become one of the important issues that the cultural and tourism industry needs to solve at this stage. An important mission of high-quality development.
Facing the difficulty in purchasing tickets for scenic spots for the elderly, Professor Deng Aimin pointed out that relevant departments need to step up efforts to improve relevant laws and regulations to effectively solve the problem of difficulty in using digital technology for the elderly.
At the same time, relevant departments should also strengthen publicity, education and guidance, promote the concept of barrier-free and friendly environment and barrier-free culture, and encourage relevant cultural and tourism venues to provide exclusive public services for the elderly.
At the same time, relevant cultural and tourism service places such as scenic spots must also actively implement relevant national laws and regulations, promote convenient services for the elderly, set up facilities and equipment that are convenient for the elderly to purchase tickets, arrange special personnel to be in charge of consultation and guidance services for the elderly, and help the elderly to cross the border. "Digital Divide".
"The complete solution to the problem of 'difficulty buying tickets for the elderly' is inseparable from the joint efforts of the whole society to form a barrier-free awareness and civilization of the whole society. We call on everyone to pay more humanistic care to the elderly, and buy tickets when you meet the elderly." When the situation is difficult, help the elderly to solve the problem in time. When encountering the elderly who are "slow to buy tickets", be more tolerant and understanding."
A08-A09 edition writing / Beijing News reporter Xiong Lixin Zhang Lu Wu Tingting Ye Hongmei Zhan Shengjie intern Jin Zhiyi
The Beijing News, February 22, 2023, page A08