Full text of tourism law: outbound tourism shopping return

The National Tourism Administration issued the Notice on Strictly Implementing the Relevant Provisions of Article 35 of the Tourism Law (hereinafter referred to as the Notice), requiring all localities to unswervingly ban illegal business activities such as "zero-negative tour fees" and strictly enforce Article 35 of the Tourism Law.

Regarding the designation of specific shopping places and the arrangement of paid tourism projects, the Notice holds that travel agencies should follow the principles of honesty, credit, voluntariness, equality and consensus, conclude written contracts with tourists, and must not organize tourism activities at unreasonably low prices to deceive tourists, obtain illegitimate interests such as kickbacks by designating specific shopping places and arranging paid tourism projects, or affect the trips of other tourists who have not participated in related activities. Tourists do not agree to participate in specific shopping places designated by travel agencies or travel activities that are paid separately. Travel agencies and their employees shall not refuse to conclude travel contracts, nor shall they increase tour fees or charge other fees.

To put it simply, the content stipulated in the new Tourism Law does not mean that shopping is not allowed in the process of tourism, but that tourists and businesses need to reach an agreement on shopping, and tourists or tour guides are not allowed to obtain improper benefits such as kickbacks by specifying specific shopping places or arranging other paid tourism projects, nor are they allowed to affect the travel arrangements of other tourists who do not participate in related activities. Therefore, going to shopping malls at present is strictly in accordance with the provisions of the new Tourism Law.

In fact, for most tourists, it is not rejection and opposition to entering the shopping store. However, before the promulgation of the "New Tourism Law", there were no clear laws and regulations in the tourism market to regulate the behavior of entering stores, which led to many behaviors that did not meet the requirements when merchants, tour leaders or tour guides took group tours. For example, take back the deduction, passively collect tour fees and force shopping. With the promulgation of the "New Tourism Law", all previous vicious acts in the tourism market have been banned, and the itineraries of shopping shops in the market now conform to the provisions of the new tourism law.