Beijing Targets Travel Agencies In Olympic Preparations
Beijing has decided to further regulate its travel market order to welcome the 2008 Olympic Games.
From April 1, Beijing Tourism Administration will send a reminder short message to tourists visiting the city, reminding them oto choose legal travel agencies. BTA has published the names of the legally registered travel agencies on its official website and in the meantime it has offered a special telephone number for tourists to make complaints.
In addition to those measures, Beijing Municipal Travel Agency Service Quality Supervision and Management Department will publish the complaints against the local travel agencies each month. According to BMTASQS, Beijing received 17 complaints against 13 travel agencies in the first quarter of this year. The 13 travel agencies are Beijing Youth Travel Service, Zhongguang International Travel Company, Haiyang International Travel Service, Beijing Huayuan International Travel Company, China Travel Hong Kong, Beijing Xinhua International Travel Service, Beijing Juyuan Travel Agency, Beijing Beiguo Travel Agency Company, Beijing Huatang International Travel Agency Company, Beijing Xindadu International Travel Agency Company, Xingyun International Travel Agency Company, Youdian International Travel Agency, CTS Sports Travel Agency. Four complaints were lodged against Beijing Youth Travel Service, two on Zhongguang International Travel Service and one for each of the remaining eleven travel agencies.
Of the 17 complaints, 6 were made on outbound travel, and 11 were about domestic travel. The complaints about domestic travel were mainly about low service quality.
BTA says that it will regulate both the market order and the operational behavior of the travel agencies.
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Do not use the 'Beijing Youth Travel Service' - I was staying at the Zhong An Hotel near the Beijing Railway station. The hotel recommended this tour. I was over-charged for an English tour through the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, & the summer palace. I would recommend that one does the tour on their own. Our tour guide, Susan hardly spoke any English. She did not know much about the destination and history of China. In fact we had some chinese tourist with us - she was mostly engaged in conversation with them. It was the most awkward tour I have ever been on.
Comment by Amrita — April 1, 2008 @ 5:36 pm