New Law Sees Tourism Officials Go on Vacation with Self-Interest

The country's first tourism law came into effect on October 1, 30 years after discussion of such legislation started. Lawmakers certainly put some thought into its debut, picking the first day of the eight-day National Day holiday, known as a "golden week," to enact it.

The most prominent clause of the law was a ban on forced sales. Article 35 stipulates that tour agencies "must not lure consumers with unreasonable low prices and employ inappropriate profiting schemes such as forced good purchases and extra charges during the trip." Agencies that violate the law must compensate tourists.