(CRI) China National Tourism Administration says that 1 in 3 travelers complained about "mandatory shopping excursions" that are squeezed into low priced tours.
Among the 154 cases reported to the administration last month, more than 30% of the complains were linked to "forced shopping" or unexpected charges that have become a common part of guided tours.
Popular tourism destinations, including China's southwest Yunnan province and southern Hainan province topped the list of complaints for cheating tourists.
The administration says it sent out nine teams last month to major tourism cities to conduct secret investigation on incidences of "forced shopping" last month.
Based on the results of the investigation, the police, the local industrial and commercial bureau and the tourism administration will jointly crack down on tour operators who arranged mandatory shopping excursions without the approval of clients and those who operated illegal day tours this year.
An expert from the Beijing Tourism Association says low price tours, which often charge lower than the business cost, usually take a commission from shopping centers where they take the tourists to shop. They also add extra charges that are not transparent to the tourists, which violate the market rules and creates unfair competition.
Peng Zhikai, an official of the China National Tourism Administration, says they will expose the cases of cheating among tour operators to the public. The authority also plans to unveil a set of standard charges for services offered at major travel destinations as a reference for tourists.
Source: CRI
from China Travel & Tourism News http://ift.tt/1iB6EFm
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