China's tourism industry is collapsing! Sanya is also cold! Tourists threatened for refusing to shop

The Chinese tourism market is facing challenges. On the one hand, as China's economic situation continues to decline, more and more people are tightening their purse strings and choosing to travel less or even not at all. Another reason stems from the mainland tourism industry itself. Tourist cities like Sanya often overcharge visitors and pressure them into buying things, making tourists afraid to go there. One netizen lamented, Blogger Hua Hua traveled to Sanya last month and found that very few tourists were visiting this year. She said that while Sanya aims to become an international free trade island, it simultaneously rips off tourists, scaring them to death and making them afraid to return. When mentioning Sanya, many people recall incidents where tourists were threatened underwater. It was reported that while some tourists were diving, staff removed their diving masks underwater and asked if they wanted to take pictures. They were terrified and had no choice but to agree. The coach said, OK, then you try it. Then he pushed me into the water, and I choked as water filled my lungs. It was extremely uncomfortable. I said, OK, stop pressuring me, brother. I'll pay more and give you 300 yuan. His attitude changed 180 degrees. In the end, he made me take a photo and charged another 300 yuan. The full face mask already cost an additional 300 yuan. Today, we are going to discuss the issue of tourists facing forced consumption. According to Jimu News, a family of nine, including Ms. Zheng, traveled to Sanya at the end of November 2023 and rented a villa there. Ms. Zheng told the reporter, The villa owner offered us a free yacht service. At the time, we thought it was a small boat, but when we arrived, we found it was a three-story vessel. Boarding was free, but to access the third floors, we had to pay extra to upgrade. There was no charge for children, but adults had to pay more than 100 yuan each. Ms. Zheng and her family chose to pay for the upgrade, and after the ship left the coast, the staff introduced them to diving activities. Diving was free, but we had to pay to rent their diving masks and mouthpieces and buy snacks. Ms. Zheng's husband, mother-in-law's sister, and brother-in-law all wanted to go diving. Before they went into the water, the staff promoted a diving photography package, which cost 300 yuan per person. If a video was needed, there would be an additional fee. At that time, except for her sister, who wanted pictures, the others explicitly refused. Ms. Zheng said, A few minutes later, my brother-in-law was the first to resurface. He told me that the staff had separated the four of them underwater. While he was still submerged, the staff removed his diving mask and asked if he wanted pictures. Fearing for his safety, her brother-in-law had no choice but to agree. Ms. Zheng's husband and mother-in-law had the same experience. They didn't want to take pictures at first, but after their masks were taken off in the seawater, they had to agree to take pictures in a panic. After paying the photo-taking fee, Ms. Zheng and her family returned to their rented villa, where Ms. Zheng complained to the villa owner. Afterwards, the staff providing the diving service contacted her and refunded the 900 yuan fee for the three people's diving and photography. Ms. Zheng said, The refund was also conditional. They asked us not to discuss the matter publicly. Only after we agreed would the money be refunded. Regarding the overcharging behavior mentioned above, blogger Xiaowen said that although she had not experienced it personally, her relatives had had similarly bad diving experiences. Although I haven't experienced it myself, a relative of mine came to Sanya a few years ago, and I took the three of them on a tour. They were told to stay underwater for 30 minutes, but they came up after just 5 minutes because their ears hurt during the dive. I even joked that we, the landlubbers from northeast China, are not suited for this and that the money was wasted. But in the past few years, I got involved in diving and combined with this news, I suddenly realized something. Normally, you must balance the ear pressure while diving. You need to dive slowly, hold your nose with your hands, and fill your nose with air so that the eardrum can inflate. This is something the diving instructor must teach the diver before diving. Unscrupulous merchants will not teach you this, and your ears will hurt after going into the water. Combined with your lack of experience, you will be afraid to go ashore, thus shortening the experience time so they can receive the next wave of customers. If the guest's experience time is short, it is considered their own fault. The other party takes no responsibility and will not offer a refund. This not only ruins your first diving experience and beautiful fantasy of it, but also greatly diminishes your overall travel experience in Sanya. Blogger Min Min said that she had also been cheated in Sanya and that unscrupulous merchants used too many tricks. She summarized some tips on how to avoid pitfalls, hoping they would be helpful for tourists planning to visit Sanya. First of all, there is a common saying that you should not fly directly to Sanya when buying air tickets. It is cheaper to fly to Haiku first and then take the inner city train to Sanya. Secondly, if you want to avoid being ripped off in Sanya, first don't buy island clothes and second, don't follow drivers and touts. Third, you can book accommodations through a local travel agent, which is much cheaper than booking by yourself. If you are traveling with a large family, consider the villa area in Yanong Bay. The per capita price in Pingtan is very cost-effective and there are fewer people, so you can consider a hotel there. Also, don't go for cheap deals, such as a 99 yuan supercar, a 200 yuan submarine, or a 300 yuan yacht online. The initial prices may seem low, but they will charge you more once you get there. There are also cases where hotels offer free travel photography, free sea trips, etc., only to charge double later. Incidents of forcing tourists to make purchases not only happen in tourist cities but also frequently occur in some scenic spots across China. Earlier this month, some tourists were forced to shop while traveling with a tour group to Jiuzhaigu in Sichuan. Tourists reported that on a snowy day, with temperatures below minus 10 degrees Celsius, the tour bus was stranded in an uninhabited area for nearly half an hour. Because the tourists refused to cooperate with the shopping, the tour guide threatened to abandon them there. Some netizens exposed this incident online, attracting public attention. The tourist, surnamed Wang, who had an argument with the tour guide at the time, recounted the entire incident in an interview with Huaxiang Daily. Earlier this month, Mr. Wang signed up at the Qingyang branch of Chengdu China Travel Service Comerlede and spent 2,000 yuan to join a three-day tour group on the Huanglong Jiuzhaigu Route. There were 20 tourists in the group, including elderly people and children. After the tour group set off, the first destination was Huanglong. That day, the female tour guide led the tourists to go shopping. If some tourists did not buy anything, the tour guide reminded them that they should make a purchase at the next tourist attraction the following day. On the third day, Mr. Wang discovered that the itinerary included stops for buying jade and silver, which frustrated him. He told reporters, We thought she meant food and drinks, but it turned out to be expensive jewelry. Who can afford it? Mr. Wang confronted the tour guide about hidden charges. When she denied any forced shopping, he asked the group if they felt pressured, and many responded, Yes, really, there is. He then proposed that each family pay 100 yuan to return to Chengdu early. The guide insisted that each person pay 100 yuan before she would consider it. The bus stopped in the uninhabited Minjiang area, where the guide asked Mr. Wang to sign an agreement to leave the group. He agreed to stay only if no more forced shopping was involved. The guide then called the agency, accusing him of influencing others. I can't lead the group anymore. I have to quit my job. It was snowing, and temperatures were below minus 10 degrees Celsius. After 20 minutes in no man's land, the bus continued, but the guide left the group that afternoon. The driver took over, and no more forced shopping occurred. Every industry is in decline. China's economy has entered a deep recession after the Lunar New Year. After the Chinese New Year in 2025, many video bloggers posted videos after work, saying that many cities are still deserted and business activities remain sluggish. Let's take a look at the details. Chengdu blogger. It's painful to see all the rentals and transfers on the street. Shandong blogger. What's the situation this year? This is, uh, another closed shop? Li Henking, an economist at the American Information and Strategic Research Institute. So you are in a state of helplessness now, helpless. So now the Chinese people always say that the people are lying down, but what if they don't lie down? You either explode in silence or die in silence. According to statistics, in 2024, about three million catering stores in China will close down, more than 14,600 wafer companies will shut down, and traditional manufacturing will also be in trouble. Some foreign-funded enterprises will withdraw, and factories will relocate to Southeast Asia. A migrant worker who returned to Shenzhen revealed that many factories delayed the start of work until the 15th day of the first lunar month, fearing they would lose job opportunities if they were late. Liang Xiaohua, a former Beijing lawyer. You should note that China's economy has been in a downward phase in recent years, and China's policies have been shrinking. The financial industry, including investment, has been suppressed. Local debt, including municipal investment bonds, has been declining in scale, and many municipal investment bonds have even fallen into a state of crisis. Faced with economic difficulties, some netizens bluntly said, those of us with no skills have been eliminated and can only go abroad. China's job search chaos, a man left his job three years ago and was left with a huge debt of 3.2 million. On February 8th, a Chinese man was forced to become the legal representative of a company in order to find a job. Three years after leaving the company, he inexplicably took on a debt of 3.2 million yuan for the company, and the incident became a hot topic on Weibo. According to Elephant News, on January 17th, Mr. Xiang, who was working at a construction site in Jiangwu, Liaoning, suddenly received a message that his WeChat wallet had been frozen by the judiciary. He contacted the Zhengzhou high-tech zone court by phone. To understand the situation, Mr. Xiang went to Zhengzhou on January 20th and learned that the reason he had received the court summons was because of the company he had previously worked for. Mr. Xiang said that in 2020, after three months of internship at Wuhan Kundayitong Trading Commerce Limited, hereinafter referred to as Wuhan Kundayitong, he was informed that he could become a regular employee. However, the company required him to be affiliated with the legal representative of the Shenzhen branch to obtain the position. If he refused, he would not be able to join the company. The company's human resources department assured him that all employees were affiliated with the company and there was no need to worry. At the time, Mr. Xiang had been unemployed for a long period. So he agreed to the company's request and became the legal representative of Shenzhen Yuan Cheng Trading Commerce Limited, hereinafter referred to as Shenzhen Yuan Cheng, holding 80% of the shares. In 2022, Mr. Xiang resigned from the company and requested to be removed as the legal representative of Shenzhen Yuan Cheng. However, in April 2023, he discovered that he was still listed as the legal representative. So I reported it on the personal tax app and then in July, I found that the legal representative had finally been changed. Mr. Xiang originally thought the matter was settled, but he never expected that three years after his resignation, he would be held responsible for a massive debt of 3.2 million yuan for Shenzhen Yuan Cheng. According to reports, in 2022, Zhengzhou KFC corner led signed a 3.2 million yuan lease contract with Shenzhen Yuan Cheng. However, after receiving the payment, Shenzhen Yuan Cheng failed to deliver the store as agreed. In 2024, KFC Zhengzhou sued Shenzhen Yuan Cheng but found that the company had no assets available for execution. As a result, in December 2024, KFC Zhengzhou filed an additional motion to hold 10 individuals, including Mr. Xiang, accountable for the debt. I know being a legal representative carries risks, but I never imagined the risk would be this severe, Mr. Xiang said. Even if I work hard for a whole year, I can only earn 70,000 to 80,000 yuan. I have no idea how I can possibly pay off 3.2 million. He said that his wife had just given birth to a baby who was only four months old. He was already in debt from buying a house for marriage, and now he was entangled in a lawsuit with a massive debt of 3.2 million yuan looming over him. In an emotional interview, he choked up, saying he couldn't face his wife and child and didn't dare to go home for the new year. After the incident, Mr. Xiang reached out to many former colleagues from Wuhan Kunda Yitong. It turns out many people had the same experience as me. Many former colleagues were also burdened with millions in debt. This incident drew significant public attention. Some netizens commented, China's employment chaos is beyond imagination. Others said, this must be a fraudulent company. They planned everything from the day you joined. It looks like this kind of lawsuit will be hard to win. One netizen remarked, the key is knowing the right people. I had a former colleague who was also tricked by his previous boss and ended up owing hundreds of thousands. Later, he sought help from a distant relative who was a city official, and the issue was resolved within a week. China's Hunan senior official falls from office, and people celebrate with fireworks and banners. On the eve of the Chinese New Year, Gong Wenmi, former party secretary of Xiaoyang City, Hunan Province, was removed from office. After the news broke, local people celebrated with banners and fireworks. Analysts believe this reflects the increasingly intensified conflicts between officials and the public under the rule of the Communist Party of China. On January 24, the Hunan Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision of the Communist Party of China announced that Gong Wenmi was suspected of serious legal violations and was under investigation. On the same day, his wife, Zhou Liping, former second-level inspector of the Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce, was also placed under investigation. After the news spread, a sales center in Xiaoyang, Hunan, hung a large banner that read, It's a relief! Former Municipal Party Secretary Gong Wenmi has officially fallen. Li Yuanhua, an Australian scholar, commented, After he was removed from office, the people celebrated to express their anger. In fact, corrupt officials use their power to oppress the people or sell official positions. Although many people have grievances, they dare not speak out. They took advantage of the fall of these corrupt officials as an opportunity to celebrate. Gong Wenmi, 63, was accused by the public of having all five vices and caring only about making money during his tenure as Ironically, in 2017, he spoke at the plenary meeting of the Xiaoyang Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, making extensive remarks about anti-corruption. Li Yuanhua added, Because he was the top leader of the local government and monopolized power, he could do whatever he wanted. His successors or political rivals worked to remove him from office and then seized the benefits he could have embezzled. This is not a reflection of the CCP cracking down on corruption and promoting clean governance, but rather a manifestation of infighting within the CCP's officialdom. In recent years, many of Gong Wenmi's subordinates and team members have been dismissed one after another.