Hainan’s tourism market is about to welcome the busiest Spring Festival golden week of the year. To ensure pre-holiday market inspections, the provincial tourism commission has dispatched five inspection teams to cities and counties across the province, focusing on key areas such as tourism safety, travel agencies, tour guides, tourist attractions, tourism catering, and the hospitality industry. It is reported that Hainan will also deploy 8 undercover inspection teams before, during, and after the holiday, with a focus on undercover visits to shopping spots, seafood restaurants, and other places that receive a high volume of tourism complaints.
It is understood that Hainan will focus on regulating whether travel agencies fulfill contract agreements and whether they attract tourists with prices below cost and transfer operational risks to tour guides. The self-discipline agreements of the Beihai Independent Traveler Ground Reception Alliance, Haikou Independent Traveler Reception Units, and National Independent Traveler Group Reception Units will also be monitored. The implementation of the “Interim Measures for Hainan Province’s Tourism Electronic Itinerary Management System” will be reviewed. The operation of markets including Taiwan-bound tours, Russian tourist reception, Sanya one-day tours, Haikou one-day tours, and Haikou two-day tours will also be under scrutiny. For tour guides, the focus will be on whether they exhibit poor service awareness, provide misleading guidance, force tourists to shop or join paid activities, or change itineraries without authorization. The first batch of catering establishments that receive tourist groups will be identified and incorporated into the Hainan Province Tourism Electronic Itinerary Management System, along with the promotion of a number of trustworthy dining options for tourists. For the hospitality industry, the focus will be on whether advertising claims are truthful and reliable, whether room prices comply with government-guided pricing, and other aspects. Special attention will be given to whether hotel safety measures are adequately implemented, whether guest room services and advertising claims provided to customers are truthful and reliable, and whether room prices follow government-guided pricing. The operation of family-run guesthouses will also be inspected to ensure they have legally obtained business licenses and administrative permits.
Hainan will also deploy 8 undercover inspection teams before, during, and after the holiday, with each team consisting of 2–3 members. These teams will participate in three-day-two-night Hainan tours, Haikou one-day tours, Sanya one-day tours, and self-driving trips. The undercover focus will include tourist attractions, hotels, shopping spots, seafood restaurants, and taxis.