Heads will roll if Bali agents, guides don’t conform
DENPASAR – Tourism authorities continue to search for ways to crackdown on cheap and not-so-cheerful tours for Chinese travellers.
Tourism New Zealand announced last week that it would “mystery shop†these tours to ensure Chinese visitors to New Zealand were getting what they paid for in terms of accommodation, transport and tours.
Now Bali Update (www.balidiscovery.com) – quoting local sources – reports that the China National Tourism Authority (CNTA) has called on Indonesia to stop the practice of “selling heads” among Chinese tourists visiting the country.
“Selling Heads” is the practice in which the right to guide visiting Chinese tourists is purchased by travel agents and guides who then recoup their investment through often exorbitant commissions received from restaurants and shops.
Eddy Sunyoto, the chairman for promotion and marketing for the Indonesia Association of Travel Agents (ASITA), told the media that the CNTA has called on law enforcement officials and the government of Indonesia to end the practice seen as detrimental to the interests and the overall holiday experience of Chinese holidaymakers.
The government of China recently passed a consumer protection law.
Part of that legislation seeks to curb the practice of “head selling” that sees Chinese tourists “pushed” to undertake numerous activities, such as shopping, spas, rafting and other transactions forced upon them by avaricious guides.
Sunyoto admitted that a number of registered travel agents are actively engaged in “selling heads” when serving Chinese travelers.
Meanwhile, the chief of tourism for the province of Bali, Kade Subhisku, threatened that he will show “no mercy” for companies engaging in “selling heads.”
Subhisku has held meetings with the Indonesian Guide Association (HPI) and ASITA to curb the practices of illegal guides.
Ian Jarrett
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 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026