Tips on travel safety for the 2021 May Day holiday

The 2021 May Day holiday is coming. The Jilin Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism would like to remind tourists to take good personal protection against COVID-19  and avoid gathering when traveling and make travel plans in advance. We also call on tourists to protect forests and the ecological environment when travelling, not to use fire in the wild and respect the folk customs of tourism destinations. For group tourists, please pay attention to the following tips:

First, follow requirements for epidemic prevention and control, including body temperature monitoring, health code checking, mask wearing and ventilation and disinfection indoors and maintaining at least one meter of social distance outdoors.

Second, choose a qualified and reputable travel agency. Tourists should have good judgement over tours marketed through QQ group chats, WeChat group chats and small advertisements, and be on high alert against tours promised by buying health products or fueling cars etc., so as to avoid tours forcing tourists to shop. Tourists should refuse to participate in illegal activities involving gambling and drugs.

Third, sign standard tourism contracts. Before a tour starts, group tourists must sign a contract with the travel organizer, and when paying for the tour, pay to the travel agency's public account and ask for a formal invoice. Tourists should refuse to make quick payments to strangers via Quick Pass, WeChat and Alipay. Stay prudent over promises because it will be hard for you to defend your rights in case of contract breaching.

Fourth, choose tourism products that suit your ages and physical conditions. Elderly tourists are advised to book all-inclusive tours and avoid low-priced tours that need them to pay extra or be responsible for their own meals. Tourists should also be prudent over high-risk tourism activities and pay close attention to the weather, traffic, and public security of tourist destinations.

Fifth, consume rationally. Be particularly cautious about tours with health products as selling points, and avoid impulsive purchases. Don't blindly follow the recommendations of shops, and blindly follow others when making purchases, especially for such products as jade, latex products, silk quilts, and Chinese medicine products because these products are frequently the subjects of consumer complaints and cannot be refunded for. In case of deception, forced consumption or disguised deception, please call 110 for police help and report to the national cultural market hotline 12318 and the national tourism service hotline 12301.

Sixth, safeguard rights rationally in accordance with the law. Tourists who encounter difficulties when travelling can seek help from the tour guide (leader), tourism company, and local government. When disputes occur, tourists should stay calm and defend their rights rationally, and avoid extreme behaviors that could escalate a situation or tension. If negotiation fails or a dispute cannot be resolved quickly, keep relevant evidence well.

Seventh, remember the service hotlines. For cultural market complaints, please call 12318, and for tourism assistance, please call the national tourism service hotline 12301.

In addition to visiting tourist attractions during the holiday, we also advise tourists to visit museums, art galleries, cultural centers, libraries and other cultural venues, or to see a cultural performance or folk activities to cultivate temperament and expand horizon.

Wish you a wonderful holiday!

Jilin Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

                                                                                                         April 22, 2021