Alibaba travel arm entices 11/11 shoppers with Olympic travel packages
China Daily
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Fliggy, the online travel arm of internet giant Alibaba Group, announced on Tuesday it will roll out travel combos featuring the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo to entice consumers during the upcoming Nov 11 shopping festival.

File photo: IC

Set at five different price points, the travel plans include accommodation options at either an exclusive cruise berthing at the Tokyo international dock throughout the games, or the choice between two city center hotels, Fliggy said.

A total 1,111 sets of tickets (each set allowing two entries to select games) will come as perks for buyers.

From now through Nov 10, eligible users of Alibaba's platforms may make a down payment for booking a travel package. They need to snap up their tickets at 11:11 am on Nov 11, a moment numerically symbolizing the annual extravaganza.

Only customers who pass a certain purchasing threshold — whom Fliggy dubbed as F2 and F3 members — stand a chance at getting one of the packages.

Basic combos, including two nights' stay and two tickets for the games start from 9,999 yuan ($1,415.7). The top-tier package is priced at 189,999 yuan for two people, which encompasses five nights' luxury suite on the cruise, two prime-location tickets for the opening ceremony and eight additional tickets to popular games ranging from badminton and swimming to table tennis and judo.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics has adopted a lottery-based ticketing approach, making tickets hard to obtain especially for international spectators. According to news site Olympic Channel, around 30 percent of the expected 7.8 million tickets are reserved for international spectators.