Tibet tour groups shrinking
Print Edition
SHANGHAI residents planning to visit Tibet might have to make alternative arrangements due to a change of policy among tour companies in the autonomous region, a local travel firm said yesterday.
A spokesman for Shanghai Datong Travel said the company was told by several tour operators in Tibet that they will no longer be able to accommodate large groups of visitors.
No explanation was given for the change of policy, the person said.
Meanwhile, the operators said that from Monday through August 30, all tour buses in Tibet will be withdrawn from service to undergo a program of maintenance.
Datong has therefore canceled all of its Tibetan tours planned for the coming weeks. The decision will affect the travel plans of more than 70 people, all of whom are entitled to a full refund, the spokesman said.
China Spring Tour said it was also told about the maintenance program and has canceled all travel groups scheduled for August 25-30.
Between 30 and 40 clients will be given a refund, the company said.
A travel company employee, who asked not to be named, said the change in policy is likely to result in higher prices for future trips to Tibet.
“If each group is smaller, agencies will have to arrange more buses and guides, which will inevitably push up costs,” the person said.
In recent weeks, at least 47 people have died in tour bus accidents in Tibet.
On Monday, three people were killed after a coach carrying 45 passengers drove into a river, while on August 9, 44 people, including two Shanghai tourists, were killed when a bus plunged 10 meters from an elevated highway.
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