China tour guide sacked after video shows her scolding tourists for not spending enough
PUBLISHED ONMay 06, 2015 1:38 AMByLee Min Kok
YUNNAN - A female tour guide from Kunming was sacked after a video of her castigating members of her tour group for not shopping enough went viral.
The four-minute video, which was uploaded on YouTube on May 1, showed the woman with a microphone on board a bus as she accused the group of lacking "morals" and "a conscience".
She also threatened to cancel the group's next trip and forfeit their return tickets if they did not spend at least 3,000 yuan (S$644) each on jewellery or souvenirs.
An official with the Yunnan Tourism Law Enforcement Division told broadcaster China Radio International that the tour guide had flouted several rules, including using abusive language and forcing tourists to shop against their will.
It also reported that such practices are common across the country.
The tour guide's licence has since been revoked while the company she was working for, Kunming Fenghua Travel Agency, had its operations suspended and was fined 20,000 yuan.
mklee@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on May 5, 2015.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.