New Regulations to Standardize Tourist Guide Service Take Effect in China ����Starting from October 1, Regulations on Tourist Guide Management, the second state administrative law newly promulgated for developing tourist service, has been put into force in China. Meanwhile, necessary applications have to be made by people for licensed career of tourism in the country. ����Statistics say there are involved over 70 thousand professional and part-time tourist guides in China. Under the new "Regulations", standard guiding activities and the legal interests of tourists and guides are to be guaranteed to ensure a sound development of tourism in China. ����As are required by the "Regulations", all tourist guides must render their service under the assignment of travel agencies and wear chest cards of identity. Tourist administrative departments have the right to instruct a correction of any non-identified tourist guide performance and publicly impose a fine of $RMB1,000-30,000 yuan as penalty. All illegal income will be confiscated. Guides are forbidden from peddling goods or making any illegal purchasing from tourists. They are forbidden to exhort tips directly or by hint and cheat or coerce tourists into consumption. Guides are not allowed to increase or decrease any travel item, to change reception schedule or halt travel activities without authorization. Guide license will be suspended for 3 to 6 months for regulation breaking. License will be revoked for serious offenses committed and the event will be publicized. ����It is reported that "Tourist Guide Certificate of the PRC" and chest cards trial used in some areas in recent years will be put out of use by the end of this year. Economicnews 1999-10-08 Page2 Full Story in Chinese