The tour guide claimed that there was no grass on the grassland and forced consumption! Official announcement: Closed for rectification, 15 member small group to 44 member group, Mr. Zhang | Question | Large group

Damao Banner: Explanation of the Media's Reflection on the Tourism Issue of Xilamuren

We attach great importance to the issues reported by the media regarding tourists traveling on the Shiramuren grassland on July 12th. We have promptly conducted a comprehensive investigation and verification with relevant parties, and dealt with them in accordance with the law and regulations. Inner Mongolia Guangming Travel Agency has been administratively punished by the Hohhot cultural and tourism department for suspension of business and rectification for violating relevant laws and regulations.

In response to the issue of the tourism market in the Xilamuren grassland, a joint work team has been established at the two levels of Baotou City and Damao Banner to continuously carry out the "Xilamuren Grassland Tourism Market Order Rectification Year" action. Multiple departments and regular joint law enforcement teams have been established in scenic areas to promptly address issues raised by tourists and crack down on illegal and irregular behaviors that disrupt the order of the tourism market with a "zero tolerance" attitude. As of now, 21 tourism complaints have been processed, 12 hotline issues with 12345 have been resolved, and 7 cases of illegal behavior by travel agencies have been investigated. Welcome tourists to supervise and promptly report any illegal or irregular behavior in the tourism market. If you encounter any problems, please call the tourism hotline at 0472-8316659 or 12345 for complaints and reports in a timely manner. We will handle them as soon as possible and make every effort to ensure that reasonable demands are promptly answered and resolved.

Damao Banner Xilamuren Grassland Joint Work Team

August 13, 2023

Screenshot of the website of Baotou Cultural Tourism Radio and Television Bureau

Previously reported

Men Expose Inner Mongolia Crater Tour: Repeated Payment, 15 People Group Transformed into 44 People, Claiming Pure Play but Forced Shopping

"Five days and four nights for a luxurious tour of Inner Mongolia, two people only cost 1580 yuan." About a month ago, Mr. Zhang saw this news about a group tour on a certain platform, so he and his friends booked package tickets. The details page shows that the tourist attractions include Hilamuren Grassland, Chilechuan Grassland, Yinken Xiangsha Tourist Area and Hasuhai, and the terminal station is Mengliang Ethnic Cultural Paek, including accommodation and some meals.

At first, he thought that the price of this trip was so cheap that it might be "fake". But looking at the itinerary sent by the travel agency, as well as promotional pictures such as a bonfire party, offering Hada, horse racing, and wrestling performances, he still paid a deposit of 100 yuan.

On the evening of July 12th, he and his friends arrived in Hohhot, signed a contract with the staff of Inner Mongolia Guangming Travel Agency, paid the final payment of 1480 yuan, and checked in. He promised to the direction, "This trip has only one small team, four or five families, a total of 10 to 15 people, and taking a small bus will definitely make you have a great time."

Mr. Zhang didn't expect that this was the first lie of the travel agency.

15 person small group to 44 person group, tour guide says there is no grass on the grassland

On the morning of his arrival, Mr. Zhang saw a room full of people standing in the hotel lobby and was feeling puzzled. I only realized when I got on the bus, along with the tour guide, that the tour group consisted of 45 people. The tour guide told him that this time it was a group of individual guests, with 15 families. "Whoever promises a maximum of 15 people, you can go find them.".

On the bus, the tour guide claimed that after arriving at the Shiramuren grassland, they would have hand grabbed rice and lamb chops for lunch, participate in the Hada worship activity, and watch Mongolian men's wrestling performances.

After a two-and-a-half-hour drive, Mr. Zhang got off the car and saw a worn-out yurt. Upon entering, he found that the sheets and covers emitted a foul odor, and even the tenant's dirty socks and used napkins were left inside.

Garbage left in yurts. Image/Provided by Respondent

For lunch, there are seven or eight people at a table, each with only five or six dishes. The dishes are simple, such as shredded potatoes, green vegetables and tofu soup. The staple food is rice and Mantou.

Food and beverage promotional images from travel agencies. Image source/provided by respondents

Mr. Zhang's real-life group meal. Image/Provided by Respondent

Faced with everyone's questions, the tour guide replied, "The Xilamuren grassland is sparse and without grass, the group meal won't be too good." The tour guide also said that if you want to eat well, you need to buy a package ticket for 1580 yuan per person. If you don't buy a package ticket, you can only wait for everyone to come back and check in for the yurt.

Although the itinerary indicated that dinner was not included on the second day, Mr. Zhang did not expect that the first destination would only be Mongolian yurts. Looking around, there were no other shops and he could not even buy dinner.

"At that time, it was raining and the wind was strong. The tour guide didn't help us check in, and the bus couldn't even get on. We had to stay on the grassland, so we had to buy package tickets." He took out his military officer's ID, but the tour guide refused to allow him to enjoy the corresponding preferential policies, citing that "package tickets are already a discounted price.".

Everyone takes the bus to the horse riding amusement project site. The package ticket states that each person costs 580 yuan and rides a horse for half an hour. The tour guide also said, "You can ride a horse and run around." However, Mr. Zhang only sat on the horse's back and was led by someone, and the entire process took less than 20 minutes.

He communicated with the tour guide again, but the other party said that there were too many people in the group, including the elderly and children. Just give it a try. He asked the herdsmen around him, and they said that 100 yuan can take people to ride for half an hour.

It was seven or eight o'clock at night when the group returned to the yurt. The dinner at 398 yuan per person included snacks and a Roasted whole lamb. "About 130 people were divided into a very small Roasted whole lamb, and we only got a small piece of bone." The guide responded to his question with the same script: "Just experience the Mongolian customs."

On the third day at 4 pm, Mr. Zhang followed the tour guide to Silver Kentala Sound Bay. The package he purchased includes six activities, including camel riding, beach motorcycle, high-altitude cableway, and sand skating, for a total of 510 yuan, but the tour guide requires a gathering at 6 o'clock.

In two hours, with the addition of queuing time, he only had time to play camel riding and sand skating. "I only spent 510 yuan to experience something worth 240 yuan, and the tour guide still doesn't agree to a refund," he said

At 6 o'clock, a group of families had their travel group members wait until 7:45 due to their personal itinerary, and the whole group was very dissatisfied.

In the evening, the tour guide claimed to give everyone a camel feast for dinner. The food on the table was no different from the previous night, with only an extra bowl of bones, and each person was given a piece. "At first glance, it looks like it's a scam, almost all bones and not much meat."

Mr. Zhang believes that the tour guide's promised itinerary and accommodation differ greatly from the actual experience, and the package ticket priced at 1580 yuan per ticket is deceptive.

Pure play groups have forced consumption and are insulted by tour guides when buying specialty products

Before departure, the travel agency once said, "This is a pure play group, and there is at most one shopping spot for everyone to stroll around." But in the last two days of the trip, the travel group went from the silver shop, cashmere cultural center, to the Mongolian medical center and jade shop, and the original scenic spots of Hasuhai, Chilechuan and Mengliang Ethnic Cultural Paek became pure shopping.

"We agreed to visit the herdsmen in Inner Mongolia, and after only communicating with them for 20 minutes, we were desperately urged to buy silverware. The store was closed and we were not allowed to go out until it was time," Mr. Zhang said. He bought some Inner Mongolian specialties from the shop next to the silverware store, but was scolded by the tour guide after getting on the car. "You guys who bought this are all fools. I'll recommend delicious specialties for you, don't buy them elsewhere." Unable to resist the persuasion, he spent 200 yuan to buy a bag of beef jerky from the tour guide.

This five day and four night trip, including airfare, group fees, package tickets, and shopping, cost Mr. Zhang and his friends a total of 8414 yuan. The promotion did not match the reality and there was a mandatory consumption. After returning, Mr. Zhang called 12345 and 12315 to complain. Later, the staff of Inner Mongolia Guangming Travel Agency contacted him and said that a maximum refund of 200 yuan per person was possible, but Mr. Zhang refused.

In addition to reasonable refund requests, he hopes that relevant departments will investigate this travel agency and impose penalties on it.

On August 1st, staff from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Department of Culture and Tourism stated that Damao Banner belongs to Baotou and can file a complaint with the Baotou Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. The relevant person in charge of the Market Supervision Bureau of Baotou City stated that tourism complaints should be reported to the Tourism Bureau or the 12345 government hotline to report the situation.

Jiupai News repeatedly called the Baotou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television and the Damaoqi Market Supervision Administration, but no one answered.