P.M. BRIEFING : China to Upgrade Tourist Services
One day after slashing domestic air fares, China today announced that it is taking steps to upgrade its tourist services in the capital and lure back foreign visitors scared off by the turmoil of the last few months.
The official New China News Agency said improvements will be made in travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and department stores catering to overseas visitors.
The head of the Beijing Tourism Bureau, Bo Xicheng, was quoted as telling a tourism meeting that officials will inspect the city’s approximately 300 tourist hotels and that those that are “not qualified to receive foreign visitors” will be barred from doing so.
Bo also said guides and taxi drivers who ask for tips or overcharge customers will face immediate dismissal.
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