Beijing Tourism Administration has criticized four travel agencies that have been accused of refusing to return the travel group fee paid in advance by their tour guides.

The four travel agencies are China Nationality Travel Service, Beijing Huatang International Travel Service, Beijing Ping'an Zhi Lv Travel Service Company and Beijing Shiji Chongguang Travel Agency Company.

From January 18, 2006 when BTA issued the Circular on Returning and Paying Off Tour Guides' Salary and Advanced Payment to March 20 this year, BTA had received a total of 258 reports from tour guides which involved more than RMB1.99 million in tour group fees. BTA has helped the tour guides recoup over RMB1.22 million. However, those four travel agencies refused to pay back the fees to the tour guides, ignoring BTA's circular that asked them to do so. As a penalty, BTA has revoked the four travel agencies' qualifications in joining certain activities.

Another four travel agencies, including Beijing Xinbei Travel Service and Jixiangniao Travel Service, have had their business licenses revoked for failing to pass the annual inspection and 41 others have been suspended for various reasons.