Shrimp scandal shows need for stricter supervision

SEVERAL TOURISTS who visited Qingdao, Shandong province, during the National Day holiday were charged 38 yuan ($6) a shrimp at a seafood stall. Such attempts to fleece tourists has stirred up heated discussion on the Internet. Comments:

Previously, it was Hainan province that was in the spotlight when local shops and restaurants were reported to have overcharged tourists. The problem of overcharging tourists in essence results from malpractice in business operations and loose market supervision. Therefore, the relevant departments should launch an investigation and punish any overcharging offenders according to the pricing, not only to ensure justice for consumers, but also to maintain the city's image as an attractive tourism destination.

Caijing.com.cn, Oct 7

The chaos in the tourism market is not the work of a day. It is due to weak supervision that has left many problems unsolved. The high priced shrimp is actually not simply all about price, but also about the standard of tourism services and market supervision. Hopefully, the local government will use this incident as an opportunity to reflect on the deficient supervision and draw up and implement an effective plan to regulate business operations in tourist destinations.

Gmw.cn, Oct 6

A healthy environment for tourism consumption requires strict supervision from local watchdog, so that it is impossible for unscrupulous merchants to take advantage of its inaction or loose law enforcement.

Qianjiang Evening News, Oct 6