Travel firms’ slow boat approach to deposits
Print Edition
CITY travel agents have been accused of keeping deposits tourists pay as part of visa application services for longer than they should.
This came after the China National Tourism Administration last week called for this go-between practice to be reformed.
Many Chinese tourists pay travel agencies to organize their visas for them out of convenience. Some consulates — such as Japan’s — also insist that tourist visa applications come through travel agencies.
Deposits are taken by travel agents when they organize visas for tourists not traveling in tour groups.
Agencies say this helps ensure tourists do not stay on illegally in the country they are visiting after their visa expires.
If this happens, travel agents can have their visa application service suspended by that country’s Shanghai consulate.
A city resident, surnamed Zhang, paid 50,000 yuan (US$8,000) as a deposit before a trip to Japan in October, which the Shanghai branch of Chengdu Shenzhou International Travel Agency promised to return within 20 days of his return.
However, when the agency did not return the cash after 30 days, Zhang complained to the Shanghai Tourism Administration.
Chengdu Shenzhou said delays were because travel agencies need to verify required materials with the Japanese consulate in Shanghai after tourists return. Only when the procedure is finished can the money be returned, it added.
The cash has since been returned to Zhang, it said.
Complaints about agencies failing to return cash have been making the headlines nationwide recently.
A travel agency in Beijing failed to return 24.11 million yuan of visa cash deposits to 387 tourists after they returned to China, triggering a flurry of complaints. Police are investigating.
The China National Tourism Administration last week called for a system whereby third parties, such as banks, would hold deposits.
It also advised travelers to get a written agreement with travel agencies clarifying the sum and return time of the deposits.
Tourism authorities in the city said they have never asked travel agencies to charge deposits and there are no standards on charges and return dates.
A staff member with the Shanghai branch of Chengdu Shenzhou, surnamed Xia, said it charges deposits ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 yuan.
The sum depends on several factors, such as whether the tourist has a job or is retired.
The date for returning the cash is usually made orally, ranging from a week to six months.
Online travel agent ctrip.com was suspended from making visa applications to the Japanese consulate in Shanghai last month, after one of its tourists did not return to China.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
