Tourism-related cases jump nearly 50% in H1

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism said on Friday that it opened 49.3 percent more tourism-related cases in the first half of this year than in the same period last year, with probes into forced shopping surging 86.9 percent, as China intensifies a crackdown on coercive sales tactics that have long plagued the domestic travel industry.

The ministry said that it is strengthening coordination with public security, market regulation and cyberspace agencies to step up investigations and create a stronger deterrent against practices that harm consumer rights and distort fair competition.

From January to June, tourist complaints received via China's online reporting and complaint system for culture and tourism markets fell 24.2 percent year-on-year and 31.4 percent from the previous six months, the ministry added.