Cantonese Tourist Agencies to Raise Price Collectively Due to New Regulations

The "quoted" rate of many tours out of Guangzhou are likely to increase as a result of more controls by the new National Regulations of Tourist Agencies' Operation, which will come into effect next month.

为了应对下月起实施的新《旅行社条例》，广州各旅行社正酝酿集体涨价。

The new code will require that agencies specify clearly in their contracts the items travelers will have to pay for themselves. Otherwise they are subject to huge fines ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 Yuan (15,000 - 73,000 USD) for each case.

 该《条例》规定："旅行社不得以低于旅游成本的报价招徕旅游者，并应将购物及自费项目在合同中予以明示，否则将受10-50万的重罚。"

 
A group of Cantonese travellers return from a trip.

 
It is a real but unspecified practice in Chinese agencies to leave "extra" costs out of the written travel quotation, according to a local tourist professionals. The new regulations will squeeze out the opportunities for agencies to benefit from the conventional operation of low-price-and-extra-income any longer.

合同不列自费项目，降低表面团费吸引游客，一直是行业潜规则。《条例》让旅行社很难再挣取"差额"了。

Several insiders said written travel quotations will have to rise to include previously hidden "extra costs".

多位业内人士透露，自费项目少了，团费将会适度上调，因为只有这样才能"补"回旅行社的运作成本。

The rate of a domestic travel route is expected to go up by between 200-500 Yuan (29 - 73 USD) averagely. The prices of Southeastern and some more distant tours (Europe and Australia) might increase respectively by 1,000 Yuan (147 USD) and 1,500 - 2,000 Yuan (220 - 293 USD).

其中国内游线路预计会上涨200-500元。出境游中，东南亚线路保守估计大概会贵1000元左右；欧洲、澳大利亚等部分长线游涨幅将在1500至
2000元之间。

Prices for May Day Holidays travel will not be affected by the new code, and are still dropping in the city.

"五一"价格不受限，价格仍然在"跳水"

Many tours outbound from Guangzhou to other Asian destinations are below 2,000 Yuan (293 USD) now. The plunge is due to group chartered airplanes in co-operations with Cantonese agencies, and price competition between Hong-Kong-based airlines.

广州直飞的亚洲游多条线路甚至拉低至2000元以下南湖国旅出境游负责人称，价格下降主要原因是包机降低了成本、以及港资航空公司的价格
竞争和与广州旅行社合作。

The rate of Guangzhou-outbound flights is on average 20% lower than those from Hong Kong to the same destinations.

同类出境游线路，经港飞的价格再降两成。

Many Cantonese are planning on traveling during the coming May Day Holidays.

不少市民仍会计划出游。

(By Ronald Li) 

Source: Lifeofguangzhou.com

Editor: Chen Minjie