To the tourism bureaus (commissions) in all provinces, autonomous regions, municipality directly under Central Government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps,
During the spring festival of 2011, some outbound tourists had several disputes and even fisticuffs while traveling in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan region, which had left a very bad impression and attracted extensive public concern. With a view to preventing such rude and inharmonious incidents from happening again, relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:
During the spring festival of 2011, some outbound tourists had several disputes and even fisticuffs while traveling in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan region, which had left a very bad impression and attracted extensive public concern. With a view to preventing such rude and inharmonious incidents from happening again, relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:
1. It is important to thoroughly implement the system of pre-travelling information session. Each travel agency offering outbound tourism business shall effectively implement the system of pre-travelling information session, introduce in detail relevant information as well as laws and regulations of the outbound tourism destinations, specify the matters requiring attention from outbound tourists, and remind them to conscientiously abide by the Tourism Etiquette Rules for Chinese Citizens Traveling Abroad.
2. It is imperative to effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of tourists. Each travel agency offering outbound tourism business shall ensure the quality of travel services, and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of tourists, Meanwhile, they shall actively guide tourists to conscientiously abide by laws and regulations of the destinations so as to lawfully safeguard their own legitimate rights and interests.
3. It is necessary to improve the whole-process management over outbound tourist groups. Each travel agency offering outbound tourism business shall improve the whole-process management over outbound tourist groups by focusing on the following key aspects. Firstly, contract management shall be reinforced. A travel agency offering outbound tourism business shall sign standardized and detailed contracts with overseas reception travel agencies. In addition, it shall also conclude travel contracts with tourists to clarify its rights and obligations as well as the responsibilities to be borne by the tourists. Secondly, management over team leaders of outbound tourist groups shall be strengthened. A travel agency offering outbound tourism business shall require its team leaders to well play their role in organizing, coordinating and leading travel groups and to promptly deal with the problems encountered. Thirdly, a travel agency offering outbound tourism business shall follow up with the schedule of each tourist group in a timely manner so that it can coordinate and deal with emergencies without delay.
4. Vigorous efforts shall be made to regulate the order of the tourism market. Tourism administrative departments at all levels shall, in accordance with the arrangements and requirements of this year's national tourism regulation meeting, focus on prominent problems prevailing in the tourism market, achieve breakthroughs in regulation by dealing with typical cases, and make vigorous efforts to rectify such business malpractices of travel agencies as "promising zero or negative travel expense", "offering tourism business by affiliating to or contracting business from other travel agencies", and forced consumption or forced consumption in a disguised form, in an effort to standardize the business operations of tourism enterprises and promote the healthy development of the tourism market.
5. Publicity and guidance of civilized traveling shall be stepped up. Taking into consideration actual situations, tourism administrative departments at all levels and tourism enterprises shall adopt multiple methods and various channels to conduct publicity activities relating to civilized travelling in a tourist-friendly manner. In addition, they shall actively organize non-profit publicity on "quality tourism, civilized tourism and rational consumption", so that tourists are guided to pursue quality tourism and serve as messengers of civilized outbound tourism.
National Tourism Administration
February 18, 2011
February 18, 2011
