Beware of touts at train stations and docks: In any city with a developed tourism industry, you’ll find numerous unidentified individuals at passenger hubs, hawking everything from train tickets and hotel rooms to tour packages. These people are definitely not licensed, but they’re adept at reading people, flattering them, and using smooth talk. They often start by quoting high prices, and if that fails, they’ll bait you with suspiciously low rates. Once they’ve hooked you, they’ll resell your booking to a travel agency at an even lower price and vanish without a trace.
2. Second Tip to Avoid Scams in Outdoor Travel:
Carefully check the travel agency’s credentials: This is an old but crucial point. Travel agencies in China are divided into two types—not three, as many believe. The first is “international travel agencies,” and the second is “domestic travel agencies.” International agencies are further subdivided into those permitted to operate outbound tours and those allowed to run inbound and domestic tours only. For example, Sichuan Province has just over 30 international travel agencies, but only two—Sichuan Overseas Travel Service and Chengdu Overseas Travel Service—are directly authorized to run outbound tours. However, Chengdu Overseas Travel Service has been suspended from outbound operations due to regulatory violations. Other international agencies typically only act as agents for outbound tours and cannot operate them directly.
So, what’s the difference between “domestic” and “international” travel agencies?
First, domestic agencies pay a 100,000 RMB bond, while international agencies pay 600,000 RMB.
Also, simply put, domestic agencies cannot serve tourists from outside mainland China—such as Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan residents—and travelers cannot join tours organized by them. Many tourists overlook this, but it’s risky. Beyond broader issues, your own interests may not be protected. For instance, all travel agencies in China must provide liability insurance, but the coverage and amounts differ between domestic and international agencies. If a non-mainland tourist joins a domestic agency’s tour and something goes wrong, you might not receive any compensation at all because domestic agencies’ policies exclude foreigners. Even if you’re compensated at the domestic rate, the payout could be 2–3 times lower. Not to mention, the service quality may not meet foreign visitors’ standards.
3. Third Tip to Avoid Scams in Outdoor Travel:
Check whether it’s a branch or the main office: This is equally important. Take Chengdu, Sichuan, for example. While tourism is booming, the market is chaotic, with an overwhelming number of operators. Chengdu has over 200 travel agencies, but many established ones, during the market’s early days—as in other major cities—adopted a franchise model, licensing numerous branches. The relationship between the head office and branches is purely financial; the head office doesn’t oversee their operations or business practices. Regulatory authorities have struggled to address this issue despite issuing numerous policies and regulations, yet the problem persists. Today, the number of branches far exceeds that of agencies, becoming a chronic issue in Chengdu’s tourism industry—even drawing attention from the National Tourism Administration, which has ordered a crackdown. By national policy, any non-headquarters office can only receive tourists on behalf of the main office and has no authority to operate like a full-fledged agency. According to Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau statistics, 80% of tourism complaints in Chengdu stem from these irregular branches. Thus, identifying them is vital.
First, check if they prominently display their business license. Then, look for a tourism bureau-issued permit and a complaint notice board. Never accept photocopies. Ensure they have an official tourism contract issued under tourism bureau supervision and can provide formal invoices. If any of these are missing, it’s best to walk away.
Additionally, observe whether the agency’s facilities are complete, the office is professional, and the staff are qualified—this requires your judgment.
4. Fourth Tip to Avoid Scams in Outdoor Travel:
Memorize the contact numbers of local tourism bureaus. When in doubt about an agency’s credentials, call for advice.
5. Fifth Tip to Avoid Scams in Outdoor Travel:
Verify the star rating of hotels promised by travel agencies: Many illegal travel branches deceive tourists by falsely promising stays at certain-star hotels. Upon arrival, guests often find a huge disparity. This is partly due to varying room categories within star-rated hotels and partly because of location-based price differences. Many tourists arriving in Chengdu by train are lured into staying at a famously cheap “three-star” hotel near the station, sometimes for as little as 60 RMB per night. The catch? The hotel’s lower floors are subpar—worse than a basic guesthouse—and naturally, the price reflects that. Similar tactics are common during trips.
Tourists should insist on having the hotel name and whether it’s the main building specified in the contract. They can also consult relevant authorities about the hotel’s tier. For example, in Sichuan, Jiuzhaigou International Hotel—the region’s only five-star—is divided into East and West buildings, with price differences. Reputable agencies usually handle this well.
6. Sixth Tip to Avoid Scams in Outdoor Travel:
Beware of price traps: Low prices are tempting, and legitimate agencies also compete by offering affordable tours. However, some unscrupulous agencies or branches lure tourists with cheap deals, then exploit them through unethical means—like forcing unnecessary shopping stops, directing them to shady shops, downgrading services, swapping attractions, or even absconding with payments.
How to distinguish fair pricing from traps: Compare multiple reputable agencies. Focus on the value-for-money ratio—quality relative to cost—rather than price alone. Unreasonably low prices rarely deliver decent service, as market economics dictate.
7. Seventh Tip to Avoid Scams in Outdoor Travel:
Understand the difference between reorganized tours and purchased tours: In today’s tourism market, it’s normal for agencies to specialize, as no single operator can monopolize all aspects or secure enough daily clientele for every route. Criticizing reasonable division of labor is unfair, but that doesn’t excuse agencies from stripping tourists of their choice rights.
First, remember: your travel agency remains responsible for any issues during the trip, even if your group is reorganized or merged.
Second, the promises made to you must not change after reorganization or merging; otherwise, you can file a complaint.
Third, the agency must inform you in the contract whether your tour will be reorganized or merged, and the names of the involved agencies must be included.
8. Eighth Tip to Avoid Scams in Outdoor Travel:
Watch out for shopping traps: Most tours not explicitly labeled “no shopping” will include shopping stops. But stay vigilant:
Tourism bureaus regulate shopping activities. For example, Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau mandates no more than one shopping stop per day, each lasting no longer than 40 minutes. You can cite this rule to request the guide comply—or file a complaint if they don’t.
Additionally, the shopping venues your guide takes you to must be officially designated by the tourism bureau (excluding stores you choose yourself or roadside shops). These spots should display clear signs identifying them as authorized.
The most important point is that no one can force you to shop, force you to make purchases, or deceive you into buying anything. If you discover that what you purchased is counterfeit, fake, shoddy, or not worth the price, as long as you can provide an invoice or evidence, you have the right to request a refund or compensation for your loss.
Nine, the Ninth Tip for Avoiding Scams in Outdoor Travel:
Be wary of self-paid activity traps: Travel involves spending, so besides the mandatory activities included in a tour package, there are usually optional self-paid activities. In principle, these should be chosen voluntarily by tourists and must not be forced upon you. Therefore, you should carefully select self-paid options and avoid falling into these traps, as many such activities are not worth the price charged.
For example, when traveling in Sichuan, common and reasonable self-paid activities—aside from visiting official scenic spots—may include local lamb barbecue bonfire parties, Chengdu snacks, Chengdu hot pot, Chengdu medicinal cuisine, Sichuan opera performances, visits to Sichuan teahouses, and hot spring baths. As long as the prices are reasonable, there usually shouldn’t be any issues.
Ten, the Tenth Tip for Avoiding Scams in Outdoor Travel:
Beware of freebie traps: To attract tourists, many illegal travel agencies or non-compliant tourism operators may offer “free” attractions or services to lure you in. As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. In reality, these so-called free offers are either already included in the tour fee you paid or are part of another scam. Be especially cautious. For instance, on the way to Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan, there is a temple called Gami Temple. Many rogue travel operators used to “give away” free visits to this temple. However, once inside, visitors were often pressured into paying large sums of money under the guise of burning incense for blessings or purchasing goods. Those who refused might even be cursed at or insulted by fake monks. There have been countless complaints about this. The tourism authorities have since shut down this so-called attraction, and it was later discovered that the “monks” were actually local farmers in disguise, colluding with illegal travel agencies to scam tourists for profit.