"Xiamen Gulangyu Tourist Attraction" forces tourists to spend 20,000 yuan an hour? How many tricks are there behind low-price tour groups?

Introduction to "Xiamen Gulangyu Tourist Attractions" A tour guide in Guilin, Guangxi forced tourists to spend 20,000 yuan an hour to attract attention. How many tricks are there behind low-price tour groups? With the increasing popularity of self-guided outdoor travel, there are outdoor clubs, friend clubs, road travel clubs, etc. Frequently use WeChat groups or QQ groups to illegally publish travel products, promote travel routes, receive citizens or. A tour guide in Guilin, Guangxi forces tourists to spend 20,000 yuan an hour to attract attention.

How many tricks are there behind low-price tour groups?

With the increasing popularity of self-guided outdoor travel, outdoor clubs, travel clubs, road travel clubs, etc. Frequently illegally publish travel products, promote travel routes, and receive citizens or travel friends through WeChat groups or QQ groups.

According to the relevant provisions of the Tourism Law, it is illegal for non-tourism companies and individuals to organize travel activities on their own.

To completely eradicate the chaos of forced consumption in low-price groups, we must rely on the law, increase punishment measures, and increase the costs of violating the law and the benefits of rights protection.

Our reporter Zhao Li

“Since you have chosen a group with a shopping link, you need to spend money. What is your attitude towards me in the store today? Everyone is fighting inside Guerrilla warfare! Now get off the car and go to the store, it will cost you 20,000 yuan an hour." This sentence came from a Guilin female tour guide.

The female tour guide led a group organized by a beauty brand. According to tourists, "give the travel agency 598 yuan of product gifts" and you can go to Guilin from Hunan for free. On the last day of the trip, because the consumption in the jade shop was too high, the tourists' consumption did not meet the tour guide's "psychological expectations", so the above scene occurred.

After the forced consumption incident was exposed, "low-price tours" once again attracted attention.

With the increasing popularity of self-guided outdoor tourism, outdoor clubs, travel clubs, travel clubs, health care product sales companies, and some training institutions illegally release travel products, promote travel routes, and receive citizens or travel companions. Commonly seen. According to the relevant provisions of the Tourism Law, it is illegal for non-tourism enterprises and individuals to organize tourism activities on their own. However, according to relevant departments, many tourism activities attract consumers to join the group with "low-priced tours" or even "zero tour fees."

055-79000 Through unannounced visits to such organizations that do not have tourism qualifications but operate travel agency business, the reporter found that many low-priced tours hide many tricks.

Claim unprofitable.

In fact, hidden consumption

Recently, reporters discovered a large number of QQ groups of relevant institutions through online searches. The group name has a simple and consistent format: Outdoor Club. The reporter tried to apply to join the QQ groups of these outdoor clubs as an outdoor sports enthusiast, but the pass rate was extremely low. Many applications for group membership were sent to nothing but nothing. Some organizations directly rejected journalists’ applications to join the group. For example, "XX Shanshui Outdoor Club" refused to join the group on the grounds that "it was not introduced by an acquaintance in the group and cannot join the group" after the reporter applied for it many times.

After many attempts, the reporter finally entered the personal group chat as an ordinary tourist. However, after joining the group, the relevant persons in charge of these institutions will know the information of the new group users, such as "who introduced it", "where they are from", and "what activities they have participated in before".

Currently, there are 1,436 members in the QQ group of "Beijing XX Outdoor Club", which is promoted as "mountain climbing, hiking, camping, grassland horseback riding, desert crossing, forest exploration, seaside swimming, photography, skiing, food, singing , a friendship-themed adventure travel outdoor club.” The outdoor activities of this club are rich and diverse, most of which are short in duration and generally divided into one-day activities and two-day activities. Prices for short-term events are generally low, with many one-day events costing less than 100 yuan, and some two-day events costing around 300 yuan. Take the one-day trip to Kingfisher Valley (located in Yanqing, Beijing) as an example. The activity fee is 65 yuan per person, including taxi fare

Two years ago, Ms. Wang, a Beijing resident, was roped into an outdoor tour group, which posted many low-cost tour routes. "Those who organize tours say that if they don't make money, they will organize everyone to go out." But Ms. Wang found that they "made a lot of money."

She once took a trip to Zhangjiakou, which cost less than 300 yuan, but as soon as she got on the bus, the hidden expenses started. The organizer charges each visitor a hard-earned fee of 50 yuan, and each visitor also pays 10 yuan for tea after the meal.

“There is no formal contract and payment is made through WeChat transfer or punch card. This kind of tour group is too irregular.” Ms. Wang said.

Some people in the industry also revealed to reporters that some outdoor clubs often attract tourists under the banner of non-profit, and the relevant staff of the clubs make profits through the price difference. Because outdoor clubs do not require deposits, taxes, etc. Like travel agencies, outdoor clubs operate at almost "zero cost."

The reporter interviewed Mr. Zhang, a staff member responsible for hosting these clubs at a certain attraction. He said, "The profits from related expenses can be basically divided 40-60 with the organizer. Generally, travel agencies or tour leaders get more commission."

The promoter stated that he had no responsibility.

Tourists face greater risks.

The QQ group information of another "Beijing Buddies" shows that it was established on October 23, 2015. Currently, it has 2,862 members and has organized 44 events.

The organizer is "Beijing Wolf Outdoor". The destinations are as close as Shuanglong Gorge, Pofengling, and Dongling Mountain on the outskirts of Beijing, and as far away as Wuyuan, Dunhuang, and Mohe.

Beijing Wolf Outdoor’s official website information shows that it is an organization “focused on the tent rental industry in Beijing (Tianjin)”. Its business scope mainly includes Beijing (Tianjin) camping tent rental, cotton sleeping bags, down sleeping bags, and walkie-talkies. , mountaineering bags and other outdoor products.

Beijing Wolf Outdoor’s official website also has a column for “Friends’ Activities”. When you open this page, it displays 70 related items published by this organization from June 6, 2008 to October 24, 2008. Travel Information. The reporter clicked on several links, most of which were related introductions to travel routes, itinerary planning, cost ranges, etc. Occasionally a "disclaimer" is included with the introduction. Statement: The event sponsor is only the event contact person and may not have participated in outdoor leader training and wilderness rescue. Although obliged to help every participant of the event, the organizer and leader of the event are not responsible for any damage and consequences caused by participating in the event. ——Register voluntarily and at your own risk.

Such a disclaimer can also be found in the activity details of the "Beijing Luyou XXX" QQ group.

The reporter found that Shanks Outdoor Club has also organized outdoor travel activities many times. A push from the official WeChat account on June 13 showed that the price of the seven-day tour was around 3,000 yuan per person. The tour includes Jiaju Tibetan Village, Hailuogou Glacier, Daocheng Yading, Siguniang Mountain and other popular tourist attractions. The cost includes transportation (driver’s food and accommodation), accommodation (7 nights), tickets (Siguniang Mountain Shuangqiaogou, Jiaju Tibetan Village, Yading Scenic Area, Hailuogou), meals (Breakfast in Danba), tour guide services, and insurance. At the same time, it is stated that this line only purchases travel accident insurance for team members, and does not include disease insurance and property insurance. During the activity, if any financial losses occur, they will be borne by the team members themselves; if the financial losses are caused by personal reasons and need to be left to be handled by themselves, a "withdrawal agreement" should be signed.

Another go on road trip club, Ant go on road trip Club, also noted similar terms in the go on road trip route push on June 14. The travel expenses include only a personal accident insurance of RMB 500,000, and nothing else.

The leader of the "Beijing XX Club" told reporters that the price offered by his club is "more cost-effective than that of a travel agency" and they will also receive an additional accident insurance. When the reporter asked whether he would sign a relevant responsibility contract, the team leader replied, "If you don't sign a contract, the activities are all voluntary."

Freedom has become a new strategy.

Set traps for forced shopping

It is worth noting that related disputes occur frequently.

In April 2008, Tian, ??an outdoor travel enthusiast, took the organizers of WeChat group tours to court. The lawsuit originated in the summer of 2016. He and his friends joined the Happy Friends self-guided tour WeChat group and went rafting in Daqinggou, Inner Mongolia. While rafting, he accidentally suffered an acute compression fracture of his lumbar spine. His claim against the tour organizer was rejected and he took it to court. The court ruled that the organizer was not for profit and Tian was fully responsible for the injuries caused by his sitting position.

On November 22, 2014, Zhang Bingyu followed the coach of Qingdao Li Qian Sports and Leisure Club Co., Ltd. to Jiuxian Mountain for downhill training. During the descent, the protective rope was untied, and Zhang Bingyu fell to her death from a height of about 30 meters above the ground. Yu is an employee of a sports company and the leader of this expansion training. He met Cao, whose online name is "", in the outdoor sports group. The latter was the outdoor coach temporarily hired by the company for this event. According to the verdict, both Yu and Cao claimed they did not have qualifications for downhill activities.

This type of organizations and individuals without tourism qualifications often launch various low-price tours when operating travel agency business.

According to a Beijing citizen who did not want to be named, his parents participated in a low-cost tour organized by the "Outdoor Friends Group" WeChat group. "50 yuan per person, one-day trip to Yixing Bamboo Sea. My parents gathered at 6:30 in the morning and came back at 6 in the evening with large and small bags. Bamboo shoots, bamboo cutting boards, activated carbon balls, dish towels, etc. It cost a few hundred yuan Buying back a bunch of useless things."

The reporter interviewed Mr. Zhang, a former tour guide. Mr. Zhang said, "In the tourism industry, low-price tours basically imply consumer content, which is regarded as a default rule in the industry. But if you pay enough money reasonably, there may only be some slight guidance, no It will force consumption.”

Ma Aiping, a professor at the School of Tourism Management of Beijing International Studies University, believes that the tour fee for four days and five nights is 598 yuan, which is obviously low if food, accommodation and transportation are included, so the tour itinerary includes three days. shopping items.

Liu Simin, director of the Tourism Research Institute of the Cultural and Creative Industry Research Center of Beijing Foreign Studies University, believes that there may be many reasons for the lower than market price and operating cost, but if there are obvious shopping arrangements in the itinerary, it can basically be judged as inappropriate. Reasonably cheap travel.

In 2000, the National Development and Reform Commission, in conjunction with the public security, industry and commerce, price and other departments, continued to carry out a number of actions to comprehensively rectify the order of the national tourism market and seriously investigate and deal with "unreasonable low-price tours" and "illegal operations" Travel agency business" and other illegal activities. *** 2,595 cases were filed, 33.26 million yuan of illegal income was fined and confiscated, and 45 business licenses were revoked.

Since then, although some issues related to travel agencies have been contained and regulated to a certain extent, some organizations and individuals who do not have tourism qualifications but operate travel agency business have begun to "get ready to take action." There are also companies that sell health care products during "zero group fee" tours.

Take Jiufang Joy as an example. This company is not qualified to organize tours. In August 2008, a fire at the Beilon Hot Spring Leisure Hotel in Harbin, Heilongjiang caused 20 deaths and 23 injuries. According to media reports, Jiufang Happy mainly sells health care products for middle-aged and elderly people, and customers who spend more can receive travel opportunities rewarded by the company.

According to disclosures from relevant departments in Beijing, many tourism activities use “zero group fees” as bait to attract elderly people to join the group, which hides multiple risks. Law enforcement officials from relevant departments in Beijing said that low-priced tours under the guise of "free tours" and "zero group fees" are becoming more and more hidden, and the elderly are often the "hardest hit areas" for being deceived.

Law enforcement officials said that at present, "buy health products and get free travel" and "buy financial management and get free travel" organized by companies have become new tricks of criminals, and some companies even use the name of recruiting "travel experiencers" The applicant encountered a compulsive shopping trap while traveling.

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