Opinions on promoting the high-quality development of online travel market

Interpretation of "Opinions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Promoting the High-quality Development of Online Travel Market"

In order to further strengthen the management of online tourism market, give full play to the positive role of online tourism platform operators in integrating tourism resources, promote the coordinated development of related tourism operators such as transportation, accommodation, catering, sightseeing and entertainment, vigorously develop the digital economy, improve the level of normalization supervision, protect the legitimate rights and interests of tourists, support online tourism platform operators to lead the development and promote the high-quality development of tourism, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued the Opinions on Promoting the High-quality Development of Online Tourism Market (hereinafter referred to as the Opinions)

1. What is the background of the Opinions?

A: In recent years, China's online travel market has developed rapidly, the number of online travel operators has been increasing, and new formats and service models have emerged, which has promoted the development of tourism. During the epidemic period in COVID-19, online tour operators carried out a lot of service guarantee work in the aspects of returning visitors' orders, forecasting popular tourist destinations, monitoring and early warning of scenic spot traffic, and safety publicity and guidance. Online travel operators have also explored and developed tourism products such as "safe travel" and "safe travel", which have made useful attempts to promote the recovery and prosperity of tourism. After the implementation of the "Class B and Class B Management" policy, the online travel market has rapidly recovered, and hotels and homestays have been oversold, unreasonably low-priced tours, out-of-range outbound tours, and "outdoor attractions" with inadequate safety risk warnings, which have damaged the legitimate rights and interests of tourists. In this context, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism drafted and published the Opinions through in-depth investigation and extensive solicitation of opinions.

2. What are the main contents of the Opinions?

A: The main contents of the Opinions include: First, the basic principles are clarified, and it is necessary to adhere to the safety bottom line, people-oriented, coordinated development and innovative development. The second is to highlight the key points of work, strengthen the content safety audit, build a safe production bottom line, protect the legitimate rights and interests of tourists, promote the coordinated development of the industry, and create a good market environment. The third is to improve supervision means, strengthen market supervision and inspection, strengthen law enforcement supervision and inspection, improve the efficiency of credit supervision, improve the efficiency of digital supervision, and standardize market order according to law. Fourth, strengthen support and guidance, make good use of relief and support policies, innovate tourism financial services, explore platforms to operate tourism pre-sale business, and promote high-quality development of the industry.

3. Why does the Opinions highlight the creation of a good market environment and a standardized market order?

A: Online tourism management service is a key link in the tourism industry chain and an important force to meet the tourism needs of the broad masses of people, promote tourism consumption and promote the development of tourism. Operators of online travel platforms have the characteristics of concentrated capital, advanced technology, strong social mobilization ability and great market influence. Only by implementing the new development concept, making overall plans for development and safety, insisting on development by standardization, standardizing in development, implementing normalized supervision, creating a good market environment, maintaining standardized market order and eliminating potential risks in the development process in time can all kinds of tourism operators enjoy the development dividend, protect the legitimate rights and interests of tourists and realize the online tourism industry.

4. What are the key requirements of the Opinions for online travel platform operators?

A: Online travel platform operators should strengthen the qualification examination of operators in the platform to ensure the safety of platform information content; It is necessary to improve the safety production management system and emergency plan, do a good job in risk monitoring and safety assessment of tourism products or services on the shelves, and take necessary measures immediately in case of emergencies or tourism safety accidents, and cooperate with relevant departments to do a good job in rescue, investigation and after-care disposal; We should strengthen the protection of tourists' sensitive personal information, prevent the collection of tourists' personal information beyond reasonable business needs, and take practical measures to avoid big data killing, false propaganda, false reservations and other acts that infringe on tourists' rights and interests; Strengthen the monitoring, discovery, judgment and disposal of illegal products such as engaging in travel agency business activities without permission and "unreasonable low-cost travel", maintain normal industry order, and effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of tourists.