Regulations on the Management of Travel Agencies
Regulations on the Management of Travel Agencies
Regulations on the Management of Travel Agencies
Order of State Council [1996] No.205
October 15, 1996
CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1 These Regulations are promulgated hereby to strengthen management of travel agencies, guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of tourists and travel agencies, maintain the order of the tourist market, and promote the healthy development of the tourist industry.
Article 2 These Regulations are applicable to travel agencies set up inside the People's Republic of China and the permanent representative offices set up by foreign travel agencies inside the People's Republic of China (hereafter referred to as foreign representative offices).
Article 3 Travel agencies as used in these Regulations refer to enterprises engaged in tourist businesses for profit purposes.
Tourist businesses as used in these Regulations refer to businesses such as completion of exit, entry, and visa procedures on behalf of tourists; soliciting and reception of tourists; arrangement of accommodation for tourists; and providing of other paid services to tourists.
Article 4 The tourism administration department under the State Council shall take charge of the supervision and management of all travel agencies across the whole country.
Tourism administration departments under people's governments at the county level and above shall take charge of the supervision and management of travel agencies in areas under their jurisdiction according to their limits of power.
The departments referred to in the first and second clauses of this article are called tourism administration departments indiscriminately.
Article 5 Travel agencies shall be divided into international travel agencies and domestic travel agencies according to their line of businesses.
The business scope of international travel agencies covers the business of inbound and outbound tourists and domestic tourists.
The business scope of domestic travel agencies is limited to domestic tourist businesses only.
CHAPTER II ESTABLISHMENT OF TRAVEL AGENCIES
Article 6 Those establishing travel agencies shall meet the following conditions:
1. Fixed business venues.
2. Necessary business facilities.
3. Business personnel who have received training and qualification certificates from tourism administration departments under people's governments at the provincial, autonomous regional and municipal level.
4. Registered capital and quality assurance funds as stipulated in articles 7 and 8 of these Regulations.
Article 7 The registered capital of travel agencies shall meet the following conditions:
1. No less than 1.5 million Renminbi yuan for international travel agencies.
2. No less than 300,000 Renminbi yuan for domestic travel agencies.
Article 8 Those applying for the establishment of travel agencies shall pay tourism administration departments quality assurance funds according to the following criteria:
1. 600,000 Renminbi yuan for international travel agencies handling inbound tourist businesses and 1 million Renminbi yuan for those handling outbound tourist businesses.
2. 100,000 Renminbi yuan for domestic travel agencies.
The quality assurance funds and the interests arising therefrom during the period of management of travel agencies by tourism administration departments shall belong to travel agencies.
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