Yunnan issues 20 measures to tighten tour group management

Key points

• Yunnan issued 20 measures for strict tour group management, targeting travel agencies, guides, charter vehicles and shopping outlets to build a full-chain regulatory system.
• Agencies are banned from arranging shopping for group tourists, including product sales at scenic areas, streets, accommodation and dining venues, and from selling tours, gambling on tours, second-time reselling and group-splitting.
• The 2026 electronic model group-tour contract must be used and uploaded to the regulatory platform, with a "one group, one report" system requiring complete reporting of guides, vehicles, tourists and itineraries.
• Quarterly publication of complaint rankings for agencies and guides; entities with high complaints or major negative publicity are restricted from cooperating with A-level scenic areas and state-owned museums.
• OTA platforms must be regulated, below-cost tour products removed and accounts with false advertising handled; credit ratings and joint penalties for discredited agencies are introduced.
• Guides may not force or induce consumption, are barred from taking groups shopping and from taking kickbacks or head-count fees, and must complete 24 hours of annual review training.
• Charter vehicles must have onboard monitoring and satellite positioning in normal use; drivers may not facilitate shopping, and drivers or vehicles involved in forced consumption face immediate suspension and rectification.
• Governance focuses on jewellery, jade, medicinal materials and local-product shops and on closed-room sales tactics; by 24 September relevant personnel must sign "four no" commitments or have their "One Mobile Tour" accounts shut down.