Authority lenient to tour agency's tip charge
19/8/2004 11:11
Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news
China's tourism
authority seems tolerant about a new tip charge on tour service, as an official
said yesterday that the charge is ok so long as the tourists are willing to pay
it.
The official's reaction came after Guangdong CTS Co Ltd, a tour agency in
Guangdong Province, South China, announced to take the nation's lead to charge
tips on its domestic routes for VIP customers.
Under the rule, travelers have
to pay an extra tip of 20 yuan (US$2.4) each day for the service. They may
refuse to pay it if they are not satisfied with the service.
"If the tourists
are willing to pay the tips, the charge is legal," said Long Wei, director with
the tour agency administration division of the National Tourism
Administration.
"Previously, the country banned the tip charge. But that ban
has already been lifted," he noted.
The new charge has roused attention in
the tourism industry and some agencies are intending to follow the suit.
"If
Guangdong CTS' practice turns out a success, we may consider introducing it,"
said Yang Yang, manager with Beijing Spring International Travel Service. His
firm doesn't charge tips now.
However, tourism experts remain cautious about
the charge, worrying that it may lead to illegal practice.
"In foreign
countries, where tips are a common practice, people pay at their own will," said
Zhang Guangrui, dean with Tourism Research Center affiliated with the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences.
"But in China, there's no such a rule and I'm
afraid tour agencies may charge it as a must regardless of tourists' will," he
added.
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