Lijiang aims for high quality tourist services

Lijiang, Yunnan province will continue to develop a high-quality tourism industry in 2018, paying no mind to problems in the market.

The plan was announced at the third Plenary Meeting of the fourth session of the CPC Lijiang municipal committee held on Jan 11.

In recent years, problems in its tourist market have taken a toll on Lijiang's reputation as a popular tourist attraction. The city, plagued by numerous complaints about its bars, tour guides, and tourist agencies overcharging, selling fake and shoddy goods, and foisting products on tourists, has decided to make some changes.

Cui Maohu, chief of the Lijiang municipal committee of the CPC, noted at the meeting that Lijiang will go to great lengths to overhaul its tourist market, and will have "zero tolerance" for continued offences toward tourists.

During the meeting, Cui announced the government's plans to rectify and standardize the market.

He said that the city will establish a credit system and comprehensive supervision procedures. It plans to regulate service quality by ranking business-owners, and periodically releasing honor lists and black lists.

It will also employ inspectors to perform both open and undercover assessments and promote broader public supervision of business practices.

Public service facilities, including parking lots and tourist service centers, will be improved, and smart services, such as mobile payment services and a tourist information system, are currently being set up.

The third Plenary Meeting of the fourth session of the CPC Lijiang municipal committee is held on Jan 11. [Photo by He Zhanhui/xinhuanet.com.cn]