China's low-cost tours come with hidden traps

But even though scandals abound surrounding the low-cost tours, they so far have not dampened their popularity.

Dong Wei, president of Kangwei International Travel Agency in Qinghai Province, said the popularity of budget tours is tied to the attitudes of the tourists themselves.

"Many tourists already know that tours cannot be as cheap as they are priced in the slick ads, but they just want to gamble their luck on marketing gimmicks," Dong said. "After all, such cheap offers are really hard to resist."

Fierce competition in the tourism market has also forced some travel agencies to market budget tours to win more customers, contributing to the growth of low-cost tours, Dong added.

"Sometimes the cheap tours are given as gifts when you buy houses or cars, or when you win a lottery," Weibo user "Nvrenhuarenshengmeng" said. "You think you got a good deal, but then when you go on tour, there's forced shopping, insults or even threats."

In an effort to guide the development of the tourism industry, the National Tourism Administration issued a guideline to crack down on "unqualified cheap tours" in September, stipulating that any tours priced 30 percent lower than official prices are considered illegal.

But Li Jie, with Qige Law Firm in Qinghai, said that even though China has taken action against cheap tours, more measures are needed.

"I think there should be more specific standards about the definition of budget tours, so that the public has a clearer idea," Li said. "The government should also guide the public on how to avoid illegal low-cost tours."

The lawyer added that different government departments should cooperate to supervise the tourism market to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of the industry.