New Hangzhou travel regulations, the first of its kind in the city, have been published. The rules require travel agencies to compensate tourists and consumers when they buy counterfeit merchandise.
The regulations stipulate that once the goods that the tourists have bought from shops introduced by the travel agencies are found to be fake or unqualified, the travel agency should be responsible for returning or replacing the goods.
In the event the concerned goods can not be returned or replaced immediately, the travel agency needs to first compensate the tourists.
The regulations stipulate that those agencies who do not obey the regulation or are incapable of fulfilling the compensation will have an unspecified punishment.
A spokesperson from the Hangzhou People's Congress says that by asking the travel agencies to pay compensation, tourists' interests can be more effectively protected.
