New regulations for online tourism management
New regulations for online tourism management services are being implemented from now on, making it difficult for "black households" to establish themselves
The National Tourism Administration recently announced that five tourism industry standards, including the "Operation and Service Requirements for Third Party Online Trading Platforms of Travel Agency Products" and the "Service Requirements for Travel Agency Service Outlets", have been approved and will be implemented from July 1st. The first new regulation is the first regulation made for online tourism management services, and has strong targeting for addressing the current online tourism chaos, which has attracted much attention.
In what aspects has this new regulation regulated the operation of online tourism? Is there a corresponding measure in place for tourism companies on the Internet who are "mixed with good and bad", tourists who choose online tourism services that are difficult to protect their rights in case of disputes, and user information leakage? What impact will it have on the future development of online tourism? An investigation and interview were conducted on these issues.
'Black door' enterprises find it difficult to establish themselves
In recent years, China's online tourism market has grown rapidly, creating a group of online tourism enterprises such as Ctrip, Qunar, and Tuniu. At the same time, many travel agencies are gradually expanding their business online, and their official websites have become an important way to attract customers. More and more tourists are becoming accustomed to searching for relevant information online, booking product routes, and making corresponding evaluations. The online tourism industry is of positive significance in promoting China's construction of a modern service industry and providing consumers with more choices. "Dai Bin, President of the China Tourism Research Institute, first affirmed the positive significance of online tourism enterprises, while pointing out that there are currently some problems." Some enterprises publish some false tourism information on the internet, and some are suspected of violating the Tourism Law and Travel Agency Regulations
When browsing tourism websites, we often see slogans such as "Hong Kong X-day tour, only 999 yuan", with tempting prices, but there is a possibility of hidden consumption traps. In addition, some websites contain false information, and even some unqualified "black travel agencies" and "black tour guides" are also fishing in troubled waters online. Once a dispute arises, it is difficult to ensure consumer consumption safety and make compensation difficult.
For this situation, the first issue we face is the definition of responsibility. Is it the responsibility of the publisher or the responsibility of the publishing platform? "Dai Bin said. The new rules implemented on July 1st have made clear explanations for the classification, transaction process, basic requirements for operation, basic requirements for services, and requirements for travel agencies on third-party online trading platforms for travel agency products.
The new regulations stipulate that "(third-party online trading) platforms should obtain a business license, a telecommunications and information service business license, complete the registration of operational websites, and prominently display relevant information on the website's homepage." They should sign entry and operation contracts with cooperating travel agencies, supervise the travel agency products and related information released by travel agencies, A credit rating system can be established to evaluate and manage the credit of travel agencies. The credit rating system should be publicly announced in advance and provide credit rating inquiry services for tourists. These regulations provide protection for further regulating online tourism operations and safeguarding consumer rights, and also make it difficult for "black door" enterprises to establish themselves.
Save transaction information for 3 years as a basis for rights protection
According to data from XX Consulting, in 2013, the transaction size of China's online tourism market reached 220.46 billion yuan. The survey on the consumption status of Chinese netizens in tourism, leisure and outbound tourism shows that young and middle-aged people with high education and middle to high income have become the main online consumers with tourism habits. Their travel methods tend to be networked and self-service, with 75% of netizens choosing online online transactions for tourism consumption.
XX "is one of these 75%. As an independent photographer and travel expert, "XX" has traveled to 27 countries on its own. Around 2010, he began to plan the entire journey through the internet, and interacting with various tourism websites became the norm for his travels. Sometimes I travel alone, and sometimes I set out in groups with a few friends. During this process, "XX" discovered many imperfections in the travel website.
Last year, I made an appointment with several friends to go on vacation in Sanya and purchase products through a travel website. Several others entrusted me with the full process. Therefore, I signed up for all seven of my peers, "said XX, Although it is very convenient and saves time, there are also hidden dangers. For example, the travel agency I undertake only has the real name information of one participant, and the travel website only signs a travel contract with me, which cannot guarantee that every tourist agrees with the terms stipulated in the contract. In the event of an accident or dispute, it will be difficult for my friends to protect their rights
Regarding this, Dai Bin emphasized that tourists who purchase tourism products through websites must sign contracts. Generally, legitimate online travel websites also have multiple options for signing contracts: online signing, fax signing, on-site signing, or store signing. According to Article 10 and Article 11 of Chapter 2 of the Contract Law of the People's Republic of China, electronic contracts signed online have the same legal effect as paper contracts.
The new regulations also have corresponding requirements for information and data services of online tourism enterprises. The storage time of data from both parties involved in the platform transaction shall not be less than 3 years from the date of their last login. The storage time of searchable transaction data shall not be less than 3 years from the date of the transaction. This provides a basis for safeguarding the rights of tourists in case of disputes after consumption.
Preventing information leakage has a long way to go
Recently, the issue of information leakage among tourists who book or purchase tourism products online has been widely criticized.
In March of this year, the vulnerability reporting platform "XX" released a message on its official website, pointing out that a large number of Ctrip users' bank card information was leaked. The leaked information includes: cardholder name, cardholder ID card, type of bank card held, bank card number, etc., which poses a threat to user payment security. Industry insiders have revealed that this matter may have an impact on the online tourism industry. Other issues such as leaking user contact information and purchase records are also widespread.
This is indeed a problem that troubles the majority of tourists, "Dai Bin admitted in an interview with this newspaper, However, we should also see that this problem not only exists in online tourism enterprises, but also in other fields of internet enterprises, such as shopping. Preventing information leakage is a network regulatory issue that involves many departments, and it is difficult for the tourism department to solve it alone. It requires collaborative efforts from internet regulatory departments, financial regulatory departments, public security departments, etc.
