Gotcha again: China in new agent crackdown
BEIJING: After announcing it would take firm action to stamp out rogue tour operators who provide sub-standard product to outbound travellers, China is launching a fresh offensive on unscrupulous agents.
Beijing says will name and shame dodgy operators in the city’s major papers in a bid to clean up the industry ahead of the 2008 Olympics.
China Daily said monthly reports from May would list “the most complained about” tour agencies and their offences.
Most of the tourists’ complaints focus on poor accommodation, changing itineraries and unscheduled shopping expeditions.
“[We] aim to guide consumers to choose travel agencies with sound credit and weed out of the market those with poor records,” the paper quoted Gu Xiaoyuan, deputy director of the Beijing tourism administration, as saying.
The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) has helped to launch the Chinese Citizen Outbound Travel Contract.
Under the terms of the contract travel agencies would need to compensate consumers if they added unscheduled “shopping” trips to itineraries.
China has also asked tour guides to act as defacto etiquette police, and to quell uncouth behaviour, such as spitting and littering, in their tour groups.
Ian Jarrett
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