Why has low-priced tour groups become a persistent problem?, Tracking the "68 yuan Yiwu one-day tour" induction | Travel | Low price
The seemingly low-priced tourism hides a mystery behind it - its true purpose is to induce tourists to shop and consume.
On June 3rd, a Chao News reporter conducted an undercover investigation on the "68 yuan Yiwu one-day tour" departing from Hangzhou, during which they witnessed a real and absurd scene: they said that they arrived at the so-called "Dendrobium Garden" in Zhuji on the way to Yiwu, from low price customer solicitation to gift traps, and then to brainwashing sales... The shopping trap under the guise of a travel trip is irresistible. Afterwards, the Chao News reporter has submitted the evidence they have obtained to the Hangzhou Cultural, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, and law enforcement personnel are conducting further investigations.
"Taking advantage of the recovery of the tourism industry, unreasonable low-priced tourism is returning to the market in a new form and targeting the vulnerable elderly." Hu Bin, member of the Legal Expert Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Executive Director of the Cultural and Tourism Legal Research Center of Zhejiang University City College, told Chao News reporters. In April, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a notice on further regulating the order of the tourism market. Subsequently, many parts of the country carried out tourism market rectification, focusing on cracking down on illegal activities such as unreasonable low-priced tours and malicious group dumping.
Unreasonable low-priced tourism is a persistent problem in China's tourism industry, why can it survive despite repeated setbacks? Why do elderly people keep going one after another? What is the key to eradicating unreasonable low-priced tourism?
Unlicensed operation, illegal itinerary, fraudulent payment... Behind the unreasonable low price travel
"After receiving relevant case clues, law enforcement officers from the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism immediately launched an investigation..." On June 19th, law enforcement officers from the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism told Chao News reporters the latest progress of the investigation.
Law enforcement officers stated that through the transportation management department, it was found that the tenant of the involved bus was a personal individual named Qian, and preliminary investigations have been conducted on the three individuals involved, who claimed to be "Xiao Guo", "tour guide" and Qian; Among them, Xu "did not find any record of his tour guide certificate"; At present, no evidence has been found that the "68 yuan per person one-day tour of Yiwu small commodities" reported in the report was organized by Hangzhou Travel Agency, but the investigation of the involved personnel will continue to deepen. At the same time, further investigation will be conducted on the registration point of a certain community, tourist destination Yiwu Small Commodity Market, and shopping venue Zhuji City's "Dendrobium Garden" mentioned in the report.
On June 21st, when the Chao News reporter opened WeChat and attempted to contact "Xiao Guo" again, they found that she had blocked him. Looking back on the entire undercover investigation process, there were always a few clips hovering in the journalist's mind:
We agreed to go to Yiwu, but the car ended up in Zhuji's "Dendrobium Garden" where there were no villages or shops in front or behind; Promised shopping expenses result in having to hold money and goods in one hand to endorse the shopping store; If you want to buy what you have agreed to, "Teacher Qi" whistled to remind everyone to buy; The promised gift was given, but Mr. Zhang shook his face and threatened everyone to shop
Chao News reporter secretly visits the scene
Ma Qilin, a professor at the Law School of Zhejiang University of Business and Technology and a lawyer at Zhejiang Jindao Law Firm, organized the entire process for Chao News reporters——
Firstly, suspected of operating tourism business without a license. Ma Qilin stated that there is a possibility that the group has not been certified by any regulatory authorities, which cannot guarantee the quality and safety of tourism, and the legitimate rights and interests of consumers cannot be protected.
Secondly, the low price and suspected illegal itinerary. The low-priced group that the Chao News reporter participated in quoted 68 yuan per person, and the group fee was not enough for a round-trip ticket to Hangzhou Yiwu. The group organizer admitted that the remaining expenses were subsidized by the shopping store, and stated that if there are two shopping stores on the itinerary, the group fee will be cheaper. In addition, the reporter was not informed of the itinerary for shopping in Zhuji when registering.
"Some travel groups may falsely report their itinerary, engage in false advertising, or make private agreements with shopping stores, scenic spots, etc. to obtain unfair benefits." Ma Qilin said that this is suspected of violating the Tourism Law of the People's Republic of China. In order to attract and organize tourists to release information, travel agencies must be truthful and accurate, and must not engage in false advertising to mislead tourists.
Thirdly, it is suspected of defrauding consumers of funds or maliciously reducing the content of tourism services. The Chao News reporter roughly calculated that during the one-day tour, there were 5 hours in the car, about 3 hours for shopping, and only 2 hours for actual play.
Ma Qilin said that some low-priced tour groups may forcibly promote items during their itinerary, and some unscrupulous travel agencies may use measures such as shortening travel time to compress costs. This violates the provisions of laws and regulations such as the Price Law of the People's Republic of China and the Consumer Rights Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, pretending to be inferior, deceiving consumers, and seeking illegal profits.
"This is not a case, it is a problem that exists in most low-priced tourism on the market. Violations and illegal activities have penetrated into multiple aspects of the tourism industry." Ma Qilin said that similar situations also occur in Yunnan, Xinjiang, Qinghai and other places, reflecting the numerous chaos and multiple violations of the tourism industry.
"Gambling group" game, achieving profits through "head fees" and shopping rebates
According to data from the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Yunnan Province received 285 million tourists in the first quarter of this year, achieving a total tourism revenue of 337.425 billion yuan, an increase of 61.1% and 70.4% respectively, which is 1.4 times and 1.3 times higher than the same period in 2019. Although Yunnan's tourism industry has shown a surge, the complaint rate in the local tourism market has also increased.
From January to May, the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism successively issued notices to implement key supervision on travel agencies ranked high in complaint volume, and interviewed and rectified travel agencies listed on the key supervision list, and included them in the "black list" of state and city red and black lists.
Since the beginning of this year, the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism has released two batches of 21 typical cases related to tourism. According to the analysis by Chao News reporters, there were 1 unreasonable low-priced tour, 5 designated shopping places, 2 cases of inducing and coercing shopping, and 3 cases of arranging separately paid tourism projects and changing travel itineraries without authorization.
Industry insider Wang Qiang, who has over 10 years of experience as a tour guide, revealed to Chao News reporters that unreasonable low-priced tours have troubled Yunnan tourism for many years, which is also the reason for the increase in complaint rates in the tourism market. "Generally, the group fee for low-priced groups is only one or two thousand yuan, but shopping expenses may be two or three times the group fee. For those with strong purchasing power, it can be doubled by N times, and it's not surprising that they won't be complained about."
Products appearing during undercover investigations by trendy news reporters
Behind the unreasonable low price travel, there is also a "gambling group" game. "By betting on how much tourists can buy, travel agencies rely on earning 'headcount fees' and shopping rebates from shopping stores to fill the gap and achieve profits." Wang Qiang said that after launching the route, travel agencies began to promote and advertise, and in addition to them, there were also third parties similar to "snake heads" to attract customers. The shopping stores on the route promoted products to tourists, forming a series of profit loops.
Industry insiders have pointed out that many travel agencies are enthusiastic about organizing unreasonable low-priced tours with low quotes and high rebates. In the fierce market competition, some travel agencies do not focus on product innovation, but instead focus more on consumption beyond group fees, seriously distorting the normal business model of travel agencies. However, consumers cannot resist the temptation of low-priced group fees, or are tempted by some benefits, forming a vicious ecosystem that is not easy to break, making unreasonable low-priced games stubborn.
In Wang Qiang's eyes, the so-called local protectionism is also one of the important reasons for the repeated prohibition of unreasonable low-priced tourism. Some local governments, especially those in tourist destinations, choose to turn a blind eye to general illegal behavior for the benefit of local tourism operators, and even tolerate and encourage it to a certain extent, until it causes serious consequences or public opinion before carrying out thorough rectification.
As a result, some travel agencies have acted recklessly when facing tourists, repeatedly exposing vicious incidents such as insulting tourists, "throwing off groups," "transferring groups," and even resorting to physical violence.
Why do elderly people who grit their teeth and don't spend money keep falling into the trap one after another?
During an undercover investigation, a journalist from Chao News found that most of the participants in unreasonable low-priced tours were elderly people. Aunt Li, a Hangzhou native who is over sixty, often travels with her sisters after retirement. This year, she discovered that the once silent "tour guide" Xiao Wang suddenly became active on WeChat Moments, recommending various travel route posters every day.
There are also unreasonable low-priced tours among them. For example, "9.9 yuan Huzhou Changxing Yangmei Picking Day Tour" and "999 yuan Thailand Double Flight Seven Day Tour". This kind of group has made Auntie Li's heart skip a beat. "It's great to be able to go out and play at such a cheap price." "We're old and don't know how to make strategies, so it's so convenient to play like this!" "We all go together with friends, we chat and take care of each other."
Those who win the heart of the elderly take advantage of business opportunities. In the view of He Wenjiong, Director of the Center for Aging and Health Research at Zhejiang University and Vice President of the China Social Security Association, many elderly people have reduced sources of income after retirement and are generally sensitive to prices. Meanwhile, elderly people who lack the companionship of family and friends crave social interaction and are prone to emotional dependence. From a certain perspective, the emergence of unreasonable low-priced tourism precisely meets the needs of the elderly.
Elderly people returning with a full load
Most of these elderly people travel in groups and maintain long-term good relationships with tour guides. Through WeChat and WeChat groups, elderly people not only receive travel information but also often receive "care".
This "concern" can also be felt from the "lecturer" in the shopping store. They often seize the psychological and emotional needs of the elderly, and show great care and concern for them. In the midst of jokes and everyday conversations, the elderly willingly pay their bills.
So, can't the elderly feel the irrationality of low-priced groups? Many elderly people have shared their tips with trendy news reporters: "Not buying is not good, it won't be brainwashed. At most, it can be frustrating, but it's best to buy a little." "As long as there is someone in the group who buys, it's okay, and don't let everyone buy it."
Wang Qiang said that some elderly people believe they have strong legal awareness and participate in low-priced groups with the concept of "gritting their teeth and not spending money". But as the saying goes, one foot tall, one foot tall. Travel agencies have long understood these psychological factors, and elderly people often cannot resist the temptation of extravagance and open their wallets.
He Wenjiong specifically pointed out that some elderly people lack the ability to judge the value of certain products, and may therefore purchase items with lower cost-effectiveness, or even be deceived. When complaining to a travel agency afterwards, one often finds it difficult to protect their rights due to reasons such as the lack of relevant itinerary details in the contract, or even the lack of a signed contract. This requires children and friends to frequently remind the elderly, pay attention to their psychological needs, and provide more companionship.
Law enforcement officers from the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism also remind elderly friends not to participate in tourism activities organized by unlicensed travel agencies or individuals. If their legitimate rights and interests are harmed, it will be difficult to protect their rights. Secondly, when participating in a tourist group, it is necessary to find a legitimate travel agency and sign a travel contract, which stipulates the rights and obligations of both parties and provides guarantees for tourism activities. The third is to consciously resist unreasonable low-priced tours. "Free is the most expensive." Behind unreasonable low-priced tours, there are often long shopping times and forced shopping. Sightseeing has turned into shopping, happiness has turned into trouble, and the happiness of traveling has plummeted.
How to break through unreasonable low-priced games? Insufficient strength of current laws and regulations
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the first Tourism Law, which has undergone two revisions since then. An industry insider couldn't help but lament to the trendy news reporter that ten years have passed, and the tourism law has to some extent curbed unreasonable low-priced tourism. However, various disguised or sidelined illegal operations are still repeatedly prohibited, making it difficult to keep up with the actual needs of business development. At present, the tourism industry is recovering, and unreasonable low-priced tourism is making a comeback, even becoming more and more intense.
"We need to revise laws in a timely manner and increase the punishment for unreasonable low-priced tours." Ma Qilin bluntly stated that existing laws and regulations have standardized the behavior of travel agencies and tour guides, but the strength is not enough, providing space for operating unreasonable low-priced tour businesses. At the same time, the main punishment for unreasonable low-priced travel is fines, and in severe cases, only the revocation of the travel agency's business license. Many travel agencies have a mentality of changing their "coat" and making money again, lacking criminal punishment measures, making it difficult to form a deterrent effect.
Regulation cannot stop at travel agencies. Ma Qilin believes that in the entire profit chain of unreasonable low-priced tourism, the real operators are the operators of shopping malls and other projects, while travel agency operators and tour guides are only the organizers in the chain.
Hu Bin also expressed a similar view: supervision should be carried out from the source of shopping stores. From a market perspective, for consumers who crave low-cost travel, there is a high demand for low-priced tours. However, grouping for the purpose of obtaining shopping rebates is not in compliance with legal regulations. In the actual operation process, low-priced groups may also involve various situations such as crossing cities and provinces, and law enforcement agencies with limited boundaries and insufficient strength will face difficulties in determining whether kickbacks can be verified.
In view of this, Hu Bin suggests that cross departmental collaboration mechanisms should be established to address unreasonable low-priced tourism, and relevant departments such as market supervision should be included as administrative law enforcement entities when setting penalties.
How to make unreasonable low-priced games truly exit the market? Hu Bin stated that as long as the price of team tourism is not lower than the travel cost, and there is no forced consumption, no counterfeit or inferior goods, and no commercial bribery, there are market entities willing to organize tourism activities at low prices, and consumers also agree, the independent choice of this market entity should be recognized without interference.
"We will resolutely crack down on illegal and criminal activities, and respect market-oriented behavior. Unreasonable low-priced games will eventually exit the market," said Hu Bin.
