China to accredit tourist attractions' pricing practices

BEIJING - Chinese tourist authorities plan to start accrediting tourist attractions' ticket pricing practices and give preferential policies and funding support to the best-rated sites this year.

The move, intended to discourage the hidden fees and hefty price rises that bedevil tourists in peak seasons, will require attractions to stay clear of fraudulent pricing activities and offer cheaper tickets for groups including disabled people, students and seniors, said the China National Tourism Administration.

The criteria of assessment will be unveiled later.

The administration said it will publish lists of sites accredited as "trustworthy" prior to peak tourist weeks such as Labor Day on May 1 and National Day on Oct 1.

It also promised staff training and extra publicity for top-rated sites.

Under China's existing five-tier rating system for more than 20,000 tourist attractions, the national authorities organize appraisal and accreditation for highest 5A and second highest 4A sites, while provincial-level regulators are responsible for 3A and lower ranking.