Committee members hotly debate the issue of travelers getting into danger, saying access to undeveloped scenic areas should be prohibited

       At the 28th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress, currently being held in Beijing, committee members heard an explanation of the draft Tourism Law given by Yin Zhongqing, Vice Chairman of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of the NPC. The content covered the necessity for legislation, the overall legislative approach, the main contents of the draft, as well as the scope of regulation under the law, resource protection, tourism development planning, addressing the issue of low-level repetitive construction of tourism projects, the comprehensive tourism coordination mechanism, and the regulation of the tourism market.

　　According to Yin Zhongqing, the Tourism Law is a legislative project that was initiated in the early stages of reform and opening up. It was included in the legislative plans of both the 7th NPC Standing Committee and the State Council. However, at that time, China’s tourism industry was still in its infancy, and there were differing views among relevant parties on some important issues involved in the legislation, so the draft law was not submitted for deliberation.

　　Since the 8th NPC, calls from society for the formulation of a tourism law have grown stronger. After the establishment of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of the 11th NPC in 2009, it took the lead in December of that year to organize 23 departments including the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Tourism Administration, along with relevant experts, to form a drafting group for the Tourism Law.

　　Tourism is a service industry with broad coverage, low resource consumption, high driving coefficient, strong job creation, and good comprehensive benefits. To continuously enrich tourism products, improve the quality of tourism services, and promote the sustained and healthy development of the tourism industry, there is an urgent need to formulate a comprehensive tourism law. The Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of the NPC, together with relevant parties, conducted in-depth research and repeatedly solicited opinions, eventually forming the legal draft submitted for deliberation at this session of the Standing Committee. The draft consists of ten chapters and 98 articles, covering issues of concern to the public such as tourism safety, zero or negative tour fees, scenic spot ticket prices, forced shopping, tour guide licensing, and difficulties in protecting tourists’ rights, all of which are regulated accordingly.

　　On the afternoon of the 28th, NPC Standing Committee members held group discussions to deliberate the draft Tourism Law.

　　Jin Shuoren, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, said during the group discussion that in March 2008, he had taken the lead in proposing a motion for the formulation of a tourism law, and he supports the enactment of this law. Tourism quality has always been a key concern for tourism consumers and the general public. For example, when I visited several famous mountains in China, I saw that what were once naturally beautiful and exquisitely formed landscapes have now been turned into “markets.” Tourists come with the hope of enjoying the scenery, but end up being forced to stroll through markets. The best spots on famous attractions are contracted out to locals, and you can’t even take photos without paying. It leaves visitors feeling excited at first but disappointed upon leaving. He suggested that the tourism law clearly specify the proportion and nature of commercial outlets within scenic areas, further regulate scenic management, enhance tourism quality, and allow consumers to experience real tourism.

　　Zhang Zhongwei, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, stated during the group discussion that the tourism law should emphasize ecological benefits. Ecotourism is what people want and is the general trend. Protecting the ecology is a key and difficult aspect of tourism development and is also crucial for the scientific development of the tourism industry.

　　Committee member Daleliehan Mamihan suggested that tourism development must be organically integrated with environmental protection, developing while protecting, and preventing disorderly and destructive development. Currently, tourism development has also brought some negative impacts. For instance, some scenic spots in Xinjiang were originally pastures, but are now often fenced off as tourist attractions. Some development is disorderly, so protection must be emphasized in the process of development.

　　Zhang Xingkai, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, proposed during the group discussion that the tourism law pays considerable attention to the safety of organized group tours, but has almost no regulations regarding the safety of independent travel or free individual travel. He suggested adding clauses to regulate the safety of independent and free travel. Because tourism is not just about the development of the tourism industry, but also relates to national health, national happiness, and the important aspects of social harmony and development, reflecting the country’s image, the quality of its citizens, and national security.

　　Zhou Tienong, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, believes that there is another situation emerging—there are many spontaneous travel activities to non-open scenic areas, including some adventure-type tourism, commonly referred to as “travelers” or “backpackers.” These travelers often encounter many problems. There have been multiple incidents where people venture into undeveloped areas with no safety measures, face sudden weather changes, get lost, and run into various dangers. On one hand, there have been many touching rescue stories over the years, but on the other hand, tremendous resources have been wasted, with large-scale rescue operations incurring very high costs. How to solve this problem? I hope it will also be considered when formulating the tourism law.