More pavilion express entry plans
- Source: Global Times
- [09:34 May 19 2010]
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By Ni Dandan
The China, Saudi Arabia and Spain pavilions have followed the lead of the Germany Pavilion to offer express entry to visitors who have toured designated parts of the Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) of the World Expo Park.
Express entry to either the China Pavilion or the Saudi Arabia Pavilion is on offer to visitors who have collected at least 15 stamps from pavilions in the UBPA on a special pamphlet. At least seven stamps should come from Asian Urban Cases, seven from European Urban Cases, and the remaining stamp from either American or African Urban Cases.
The China Pavilion will allow in between 900 and 1,000 express visitors per day, while the Saudi Arabia Pavilion will allow in 500 per week, Sun Liansheng, director general of the UBPA department of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau, told the Global Times.
Meanwhile, the three Spanish city pavilions in the UBPA, namely Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao, received approval to allow express entry to the Spain Pavilion on Sunday. Once visitors have collected a stamp from each of the city pavilions in their souvenir Expo passports, they can get express entry into the Spain Pavilion.
"We received around 400 express visitors Tuesday by 4 pm," said Yang Yue, spokesperson for the Spain Pavilion, adding that they would consider setting a daily limit for express visitors if the number became too large.
However, many Expo Park visitors Tuesday seemed unaware of the new express entry schemes, including a long-running one by the Germany Pavilion that allows express entry once visitors have swiped a specially issued electronic card at the four German city pavilions in the UBPA.
"I have not heard of the schemes," said Chen Yu, a visitor to the Expo Park Tuesday, whose answer was echoed by many others, perhaps explaining why there have been relatively few express entry visitors to the Germany Pavilion.
A staff member at the Germany Pavilion, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Global Times that the express entry channel was never busy.
"Hopefully more countries will join efforts to promote city pavilions in the UBPA, so that more people will know of these express entry schemes," said Sun, adding that the Czech Republic Pavilion is finalizing plans for its own express entry scheme, the details of which will be released shortly.
