Air China, an official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, is offering an Olympics tour package priced at a whopping W17 million (US$1=W931).
On its website, the airline is selling tour packages that include tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. One three-night package including a ticket for the opening ceremony on Aug. 8 is priced at a sky-high W17.22 million. The package also includes a first class Korea-China flight and a first class domestic flight in China. Accommodation is not included.
Another Air China package includes a first class Korea to China flight, a first class domestic flight in China, three nights at a four-star hotel and a ticket for the closing ceremony on Aug. 24. That package costs about W16 million.
While the first package includes an opening ceremony ticket, it costs about 40 times the price of an ordinary three-night package tour to Beijing. The most expensive three-night Beijing tour from Hanatour Service, Korea's largest travel agency, costs W3.99 million.
"When travel agencies sell tour packages that include Olympic programs, they have to get approval from the International Olympic Committee and pay a huge amount of money," a travel industry insider said. "That discourages domestic travel agencies from offering Olympic tour packages. However, it's not easy to understand why that Beijing Olympics tour costs more than W10 million, no matter how expensive the Olympic opening ceremony ticket is."
