Beijing strengthens study tourism quality inspections

Beijing has strengthened market and law-enforcement inspections for study tour groups to protect consumer rights, according to the official WeChat account of Law Enforcement on Cultural Market on Monday.

On August 4, Wen Yang, deputy director of Law Enforcement on Cultural Market, checked the study tour group structure, advisors, security personnel, and services in conjunction with Haidian district's cultural and transportation law enforcement team around Peking University, Tsinghua University and the Summer Palace. They also examined guide qualifications and electronic itinerary and reception plans, and urged tour leaders to follow project plans and ensure child safety.

In recent years, study tourism has trended upward. Data from Xiecheng, an online traveling service platform, showed that this summer holiday, museum orders have increased by 232 percent and study tourism product orders have grown by more than 30 times year-on-year. When Peking University, Tsinghua University and other colleges opened the summer visit booking channel in July, reservations filled up in seconds.

Meanwhile, food and residence safety, false advertising and lack of qualifications are posing serious challenges to consumer interest, making market inspection necessary.