In recent years, with the rise of outdoor activities, an increasing number of travel enthusiasts have started choosing outdoor clubs for their trips. Compared to travel agency tours, those who join club outings are mostly peers, making it easy to find common topics. During the trip, club activities allow for more authentic interactions with local residents and a deeper experience of the local nature, history, culture, customs, and social practices, offering higher levels of participation and autonomy. In contrast, joining conventional tour groups often feels disconnected from the locals, with tourists mostly moving between designated hotels, restaurants, and shops. “Sleep on the bus, take photos upon arrival, and come back knowing nothing” has become a common summary of travel agency experiences. Therefore, in today’s era of pursuing individuality and nature, the “traveler” style of exploration is becoming increasingly popular.
However, while these novel and thrilling outdoor activities bring joy to enthusiasts, the frequent occurrences of “traveler accidents and injuries” are also a cause for concern. Outdoor adventure activities are growing in popularity, reflecting real market demand, but from the perspective of current laws, there is no regulatory body overseeing this sector. Tourism authorities wish to regulate it but lack the legal basis. It must be acknowledged that although China’s outdoor sports scene is booming, aspects such as scenic area safety, insurance systems, and rescue capabilities have not kept pace, and the protection gaps urgently need to be addressed and resolved.
Who is responsible when travelers get into trouble outdoors?
Cases where families hold organizers accountable after travelers die on outdoor trips are on the rise. However, domestic laws regarding outdoor activities are still incomplete, and self-drafted “waivers of liability” by organizers cannot completely exempt them from responsibility. Legally speaking, since organizers arrange and plan the activities, they have the duty and obligation to minimize or avoid risks and ensure the safe and smooth execution of the event. Moreover, as outdoor clubs grow in scale, regulation of this market remains in a “vacuum” period. Many organizers claim they are not liable for safety issues, and tourism bureaus only oversee travel agency-organized trips.
Just as travel agencies have travel agency liability insurance, team leaders should also have leader liability insurance. Recently, Lvyehu.com, China’s largest self-guided travel website, in collaboration with Baichuan Insurance and AXA Tianping Insurance, has, for the first time, recognized outdoor leaders as a professional role and launched the “Leader Worry-Free” liability insurance for them. This insurance covers the legal compensation that leaders may be liable for due to negligence or mistakes during the organization of outdoor activities, including death, disability, and medical accident liabilities. Once an insured incident occurs, the insurance company will compensate the affected members promptly, with a single-trip coverage limit of up to 1.2 million yuan and an annual coverage limit of up to 3.6 million yuan. Even litigation costs incurred by the leader are covered. This is the first insurance product truly tailored specifically for outdoor leaders, featuring clear and comprehensive liability definitions. Leaders can use this insurance to mitigate their own risks, making it a significant safeguard benefit for them.
Of course, this is just an effort made on the insurance system front. We also look forward to the improvement of relevant regulations and rescue capabilities, as well as stronger standardization of the professionalism of outdoor club leaders, to ensure the safer and healthier development of outdoor activities.