Tourists didn't shop, guide cursed them out, deserves punishment!

Compiled from The Paper
 
On March 17, a Hainan tourist was verbally abused by a tour guide for not shopping, drawing attention from all sectors.
 
Case review
On March 18, the Haikou City Tourism Comprehensive Rectification Office issued a notice regarding the handling of the case 'Tour guide treating tourists badly because tourists did not shop.' The full text of the notice is as follows:

 
 

On March 17, a video titled 'Tour Guide Treats Tourists Badly Because They Did Not Shop' was circulated on related media and drew attention. The Haikou Tourism and Cultural Radio, Television and Sports Bureau, together with the Haikou Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau, has filed a case for investigation.
 
After investigation and verification, the illegal and irregular conduct of the tour guide Yang in the video is confirmed to be true. His actions have caused a negative social impact and the circumstances are extremely serious. The following measures are now taken:
 
Ordered the travel agency and the involved tour guide Yang to apologize to the tourists.
 
Order the involved travel agency to make corrections, confiscate illegal gains of 1,200 yuan, and impose an administrative penalty of 300,000 yuan; impose the maximum administrative fine of 50,000 yuan on the involved tour guide Yang XX and revoke Yang XX's tour guide license.
 
Include the illegal actions of the travel agency and tour guide Yang in the negative information of tourism business services, and publicly announce it on the Haikou Tourism Culture Integrity Website, and notify the entire industry.
 
Continue to strengthen the supervision of the tourism market, improve the comprehensive governance system, enhance market regulatory efficiency, standardize the operation order of the tourism market, and create a trustworthy, harmonious, and reassuring tourism environment.
 
5. Vigorously play the guiding role of industry associations, advocate for tourism enterprises to operate with integrity, strengthen industry self-discipline, enhance self-supervision, ensure that travel agencies bear primary responsibility for quality, strictly implement quality standards and service norms, and improve the overall quality of tourism practitioners.
 
 
《 Regulations on Tour Guide Personnel Management 》
[1] Article 24
If tour guides carry out tour activities and deceive or coerce tourists into spending, or collude with operators to deceive or coerce tourists into spending, the tourism administrative department shall order corrections and impose a fine of not less than 1,000 yuan and not more than 30,000 yuan; if there is illegal income, the illegal income shall also be confiscated; in serious cases, the tourism administrative department of the people's government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government shall revoke the tour guide's certificate and make a public announcement; the travel agency that assigned the tour guide shall be given a warning or ordered to suspend operations for rectification; if a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility shall be pursued according to law.

 
 

 
[1] The author's perspective
Going out for travel is originally a pleasant activity for both body and mind, especially after the downturn in the tourism industry over the past few years, the tourism industry is now considered to be welcoming a new beginning. However, since the pandemic restrictions were lifted, some negative phenomena have emerged in various places. Whether it is violations of laws and regulations, or poor communication between businesses and consumers, these can lead to an unpleasant trip, and even, after spreading through the internet, give more visitors from other places a bad impression of the local area.
 
Therefore, it is very necessary to regulate the behavior of travel agencies and merchants, including improving the personal qualities and professional abilities of tour guides, which should not be overlooked. All industries should strictly follow national laws and the regulations of their respective sectors, proactively and promptly establish a complete set of work systems, and while focusing on service quality, also integrate integrity, thereby enhancing tourism reception capacity and enterprise management capabilities, providing tourists with a comfortable, reassuring, and satisfying travel experience.