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China joins crackdown on rogue tour operators
BEIJING – China is stepping up its fight against rough tour operators who fleece their clients by demanding that they shop at special outlets where the tour guide collects a commission.
In an incident reported last week by TravelMole, riot police in China’s enclave of Macau were called in to calm mainland tourists who were angry they were being shown too many shops and not enough sites.
More than 20 police armed with riot shields and batons were involved in a five-hour standoff with 100 tourists from Hubei province.
The last straw came at a windy beach where the tourists were not allowed to retrieve warm clothing from coaches.
Tourism authorities in Asia and Australia have exposed the activities of the rogue operators who, in the absence of commission, make a living from kickbacks from duty free shops, or by enticing tourists to pay for free events and by boarding them in sub-standard, out-of-the-way accommodation.
Now China’s Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council is preparing new regulations for travel agencies in China.
One of proposed rules is that if tourists are forced to go shopping outside of the itineraries stipulated in their travel contracts, the related travel agencies will be fined heavily, and they may have their business licences revoked.
The travel contract must include 10 important details such as departure location; places of connection; final destination; transportation arrangement and its standard; accommodation and its standard; dining arrangement and its standard; tour charges during the journey; times for shopping; time for the entire stay; and name of shopping venues.
In addition, the travel agencies will not be allowed to lure customers by pricing their products lower than total travel costs.
Ian Jarrett
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