A Chinese tour guide has sparked outrage after a video of her scolding her tour group for not spending enough at a tour stop went viral online. The incident, which took place in Tianjin, China, has led to the guide facing a fine of up to RMB30,000 (S$5,545) and having her profits from the tour confiscated.
In the video, the guide can be heard berating the group of 52 tourists for only spending RMB900 (S$166) in total at the tour stop. She complained that some members of the group had not purchased anything, saying that they had “brought shame to Taiyuan people” and that they were “old enough to know better.”
The guide then took it a step further, saying that “if you spend money, you are God. If you don’t spend money, you are just dog’s fart!” She instructed those who had not purchased anything to return to the tour stop and spend RMB1000-2000 (S$184-368) before the group would be allowed to proceed to their next destination.
The video has been viewed over 986,000 times since it was shared online, sparking widespread outrage and criticism. Authorities in Tianjin subsequently investigated the incident and found that the guide, surnamed Deng, was operating without a valid license. Her certification had expired on September 9, 2023, and was revoked after she failed to apply for a renewal.
This is not the first time that tour guides in China have been accused of using coercive tactics to get tourists to spend more. In 2015, a tour guide from Kunming had her license revoked after threatening to cancel the group’s next stop if they did not spend at least RMB3000 (S$554) each. More recently, in April, 37 Chinese tourists were locked up by their tour guide in a mattress store in Yunnan and forced to buy products there if they wanted to leave.
The incident has highlighted a systemic issue in China’s tourism industry, where tour guides are often heavily dependent on commissions from tourists’ shopping to make a living. This can lead to guides using aggressive tactics to get tourists to spend more, which can be detrimental to the overall tourist experience.
In response to the incident, authorities in Tianjin have vowed to take action to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of regulating the tourism industry and protecting the rights of tourists.