Online tourism to be supervised

The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) will have new measures to supervise online tourism and push online travel agents (OTA) to implement a guaranteed refund system, according to CNTA in a seminar on Feb 23.

Wang Xiaofeng, CNTA's deputy director, said that online tourism market supervision and leadership organization, as well as a specialized think tank, have been set up to study and explore an applicable codes of conduct, service mode and standards.

Concerning a guaranteed fund system, the tourism administration will control the fees of OTA and monitor them in real time. It will investigate and punish enterprises selling unreasonably priced-products.

Wang also pointed out that e-commerce third-party platforms in the tourism sector are encouraged to set up a product and service quality guarantee mechanism, adding that all parties involved in e-commerce should establish an online dispute resolution system.

CNTA will also take further measures to regulate the tourism market including the reform of the travel agency system, the listing of abnormally managed enterprises and cancellation of the qualifications of non eligible star-rated hotels.

In February 2016, CNTA proposed a model in which comprehensive tourism administration, specialized tourist police, court and industrial support and a commercial bureau could be established in regional tourism area.

Wang Xiaofeng said that the functions of public security, industry and commerce, court proceedings and judicial mediation should be integrated into the renovation of the tourism market.

By the end of 2016, 87 tourist police agencies, 43 tourist industrial and commercial sub-bureaus and 118 tourism circuit courts had been established. They helped to retrieve a loss of 2.38 million yuan ($346,348).