Experts call for better services in tourism

JINAN - China should deliver sincere, fair and effective services to the general public, the head of the China Tourism Academy has said.

"The rigid following of the so-called rules and standards is actually not what services are about and the services in China should be sincere, fair and effective," said Dai Bin at the third China's Services Development Forum held in the eastern city of Tai'an on Saturday.

Local governments often put in large amounts of money in developing tourism attractions, but when it comes to tourism services, they still think that their only role is to charge the entrance fees, Dai said.

In some scenic areas, many services are not provided and tourists have no easy channel to file complaints, Dai added.

Duan Qiang, president of Beijing Tourism Group, pointed out that "many Chinese think that foreigners should be given priority when it comes to providing services, so the needs of the Chinese are often put on the back burner".

The service industry in the country may see a boost in the 12th Five-Year Plan period, which runs from 2011 to 2015, as rising labor costs continue to squeeze the profit margins of the manufacturing industry.

The service industry is likely to account for 45 percent of the national economy by the end of 2015. The revenue of tourism industry in China grew by over 20 percent in 2011 year on year, according to official statistics.