Asia specialist chastised for blanking watchdog
Covent Garden-based Oriental Travel has been ticked off by the Advertising Standards Authority for ignoring its request for information about misleading claims in its brochure.
Upholding two complaints from customers against the China, Vietnam and Cambodia specialist, the ASA said it was concerned about the company’s lack of response and apparent disregard for the advertising code.
The matter has been referred to the Committee of Advertising Practice compliance team.
A customer complained to the ASA about a description of a holiday to China in Oriental’s brochure has a couple of elements included in the itinerary were omitted from the holiday last autumn.
The customer said that their guide had told him that an advertised picnic with a glass of bubbly on a watchtower at the Great Wall of China couldn’t go ahead because the Chinese authorities had banned food from the Great Wall "some time ago".
Also, a cruise on the Yangtze omitted a promised sail through the Xiling gorge and also a shore excursion to the Fengdu Snow Jade Cave.
The ASA told The Oriental Travel Company, trading as Oriental Travel, not to misleadingly imply elements were included in holidays that might not be the case.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt