CNTA Strictly Enforcing Low-price Tour Regulations

CNTA strictly enforcing low-price tour regulations

China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) has issued a reminder to the country's tourists to avoid unreasonably low-priced tours, and has set up an online complaint platform and hotline, whilst enforcing regulations against visitors who sign fraudulent contracts with travel agencies.

CNTA has stated that unreasonably low-priced tours are a scam which prey on customers anxious for price advantages but who fall foul of travel agencies forcing product purchases on them from compliant retail outlets. According to China Tourism Law Article 35, travel agencies are prohibited from organizing tourism activities and luring visitors with unreasonably low prices; they are also prohibited from gaining abnormal benefits by coercing purchases or earning sales commission generated by paid visitor activities.

Moreover, some unscrupulous travel agencies will use fictitious contracts to avoid inspection by the administrative department. They will then change the arrangement of the trip by increasing time for shopping and decreasing the time for sightseeing. According to China Tourism Law Article 57, if the fictitious contract signed by both customer and travel agency is discovered both parties will bear legal responsibility for the consequences.

In addition, CNTA has set up a website and '+86 10 12301' hotline for the public to report the illegal activities of travel agencies. The public will be rewarded for reporting such activities, thus CNTA is confident that they can provide valuable information.