Traveling Outside? 24 Tips to Avoid Scams When Joining a Tour Group
Tip 1
Check the Travel Agency’s Qualifications. Travel agencies fall into different types. International or domestic, they indicate their scope of business. If you’re traveling abroad, be sure the agency has the right to operate outbound tours.
Tip 2
Check the Travel Agency’s Industry Background. In other words, is the parent company primarily in the tourism business or mainly focused on other sectors, with travel being just a newly developed area? By comparison, the latter has less experience and puts in less effort, and is clearly less capable.
Tip 3
Review the Travel Agency’s Advertisements. This is the easiest and most effective method. Advertisements are a key part of an agency’s credibility. It’s safe to say that an agency that doesn’t advertise lacks solid credentials. Carefully observe where the ads appear, their frequency, length, placement, or time slots. All these reflect the agency’s reputation and strength from certain angles.
Tip 4
Observe the Salesperson’s Demeanor. See if the staff selling the travel products are well-trained, sharp, and competent — this can give you some insight into the agency itself.
Tip 5
Listen to the Salesperson’s Promises. All salespeople will say their tour products are excellent. But when challenged, those from unregulated agencies may say things like “We’re friends, how could I cheat you?” or “I guarantee it’s fine” — warm but essentially useless personal assurances. In contrast, those from reputable companies will back up their claims with past performance, such as “We organized and hosted a large group of X type in Month, Year.” Let the facts speak — that’s reassuring.
Tip 6
Check the Travel Agency’s Promotional Materials. Brochures or product descriptions that are well-printed and detailed are a good indication of the quality of the travel product, while a few simple printed pages hardly inspire confidence in the quality of what’s being offered.
Tip 7
Remember the Contact Numbers of Local Tourism Bureaus. If you're unsure about issues like the agency’s qualifications, you can call for consultation.
Choosing a Travel Product
Tip 8
See if the Travel Agency Provides an Itinerary. Check whether the itinerary is detailed. The itinerary is your travel schedule and should include accommodation, meals, and attractions — the more detailed, the better. A great itinerary might even list the contact numbers of the hotels and restaurants involved, so in case guests get separated, they can quickly reconnect with the group. Also, the more detailed the schedule provided, the less likely the agency is to make arbitrary changes midway.
Tip 9
Check Whether the Itinerary Is Reasonable. Some agencies’ itineraries may seem attractive: many countries, many cities, packed schedules. But in reality, they waste a lot of time along the way, or even involve backtracking. For example, one agency’s 14-day trip from Beijing to Israel, then to South Africa, then back to Israel and Beijing, spends nearly 60 hours just on flights and airport layovers and security checks. Such a trip not only gives you a superficial experience, but also leaves you exhausted, not to mention the lack of any real enjoyment of the sights.
Tip 10
Discuss Attraction Details. When reviewing the itinerary, pay attention not only to the activities and attractions, but also to whether they match your interests, and whether the details are specific. If the itinerary says something like “Ski in the Alps for a day” or “Relax on the Gold Coast for half a day,” be very cautious. Because the “Alps” and the “Gold Coast” cover vast areas with numerous ski resorts or beaches, whose facilities, management, and natural conditions vary greatly, leading to very different service experiences. In such cases, always ask the agency for the specific names and details of the ski resort or beach. Even if travelers may not know them, if the agency can’t provide specifics, there’s definitely a problem. If names are given, be sure to write them down and check later whether they match. Also, when consulting other agencies, you can ask about those places — competitors often tell the truth.
Tip 11
Clarify Which Activities Are Included in the Tour Fee and Which You Must Pay for Yourself. Find out whether the fee covers all admissions or only some. For example, swimming at a beach may be free, but scuba diving, water skiing, or taking a speedboat might not be. But the agency’s itinerary might simply write “1–4 pm at X Beach: swimming, water skiing, speedboat.” That can easily lead to misunderstandings. So be sure to ask beforehand to avoid disputes later.
Tip 12
Ask About Meal Standards. Food is essential, and eating well while traveling is important. Asking about meal standards helps you gauge the food quality, and also provides a reference for refunds if meals aren’t arranged due to unforeseen circumstances. Also, find out how many dishes and soups, how much meat and vegetables are included. If traveling abroad, it’s best to ask whether meals are Chinese or local — overseas, Chinese food is usually more expensive.
Tip 13
Clearly state the hotel’s name, location, and star rating. Typically, a phrase like “Stay at Beijing Wangfu Hotel (five-star) or equivalent” is more standardized. Writing only the location or just the star rating can be problematic. Some travel agencies write “Sanguankou” in their itineraries, but upon arrival, travelers find it’s deep in the mountains with no houses in sight. Obviously, these agencies didn’t conduct advance site visits but rather imagined a hotel based on maps.
Tip #14
Clarify the mode of transportation. Not only should you know whether it’s by car, train, or plane, but for cars, also find out if they’re imported or domestic, and the specific model, as this directly affects travel comfort. If you’re traveling by self-drive, it’s even more crucial to understand the vehicle condition and your rights and obligations.
Tip #15
If traveling abroad, according to regulations, you can exchange up to 2000 USD at the local Bank of China with a visa-approved passport (this applies only to the first overseas trip of the year). If the travel agency never mentions USD, doesn’t give you your passport before departure, nor offers to exchange USD for you, be cautious and clarify this before the trip. If the agency claims that only 1000 USD can be exchanged by regulation, there’s definitely something fishy going on.
Tip #16
Check if there’s a full-time escort guide. Usually, if the tour group has more than 15 people, the organizing travel agency should assign a full-time escort to ensure smooth transitions between destinations and timely resolution of any issues during the trip.
Travel Flexibility Tips
Tip #17
When a guide adds extra activities outside the originally scheduled itinerary, first decide if you’re interested, then ask if there’s an additional fee, and finally clarify whether the new arrangement will affect your visit to the next attraction. If any of these points seem off, feel free to say “no” and decline the new plan.
Tip #18
If a guide reduces the number of attractions, remember that you’ve paid for every site—even if there’s no entrance fee, you’ve covered transportation costs. If you don’t receive the service you paid for, you’re entitled to a refund or even compensation. Of course, this doesn’t apply to cancellations due to personal choice or force majeure.
Tip #19
If you’re not interested in shopping but the guide keeps taking the group to stores, an effective strategy is simply to not buy anything. If none of the group members are interested, you can raise the issue with the full-time escort and the guide.
Tip #20
If you do want to shop but find the prices at the guide-recommended stores extremely high, consider skipping them and shopping elsewhere. In Hong Kong and Singapore, tourism boards have certified certain shops with genuine goods and fair pricing, marking them with official signs. Trust the Red Junk and Merlion signs in these two places.
Tip #21
When buying expensive items, ask in advance if returns or exchanges are allowed—this helps if you find better prices elsewhere and want to return the product.
Tip #22
Local attraction explanations are usually provided by the destination’s receiving agency guide (also called the local guide). If the guide doesn’t offer any commentary, you can directly tell them they’ll be reported—since the tour fee includes the guide’s service fee.
Post-Trip Complaints
Tip #23
Keep the agreement signed before departure, the itinerary, and evidence of the travel agency’s breach or the guide’s irresponsibility, and file a complaint with the travel agency’s quality management department.
Tip #24
If the travel agency’s quality management department fails to resolve the issue properly, escalate the complaint to the Quality Management Division of the provincial or municipal tourism bureau.
Traveler's Words Outdoor Network (http://www.xzwyu.com)