Tourism Law of the People’s Republic of China (Full Text)

Chapter II Tourists 

Article 9 Tourists shall be entitled to select tourism products and services independently and refuse coercive trade behaviors of tourism operators. 

Tourists have the right to get the true information on the tourism products and services they buy. 

Tourists have the right to require tourism operators to provide products and services set forth in the contract. 

Article 10 The human dignity, national customs and religious beliefs of tourists shall be respected. 

Article 11 The disabled, the elderly and the minors shall enjoy due convenience and benefits in tourism activities in accordance with laws, regulations and relevant rules. 

Article 12 Tourists have the right to request for assistance and help in case their personal and property safety is in danger. 

Tourists have the right to be compensated for in accordance with the law in case their personal safety and property are infringed. 

Article 13 Tourists shall observe public order and respect social morality in tourism activities, respect local customs, cultural traditions and religious beliefs, care for tourism resources, protect the ecological environment, and abide by the norms of civilized tourist behaviors.

Article 14 Tourists are not allowed to harm local people’s legitimate rights and interests, interfere with the tourism activities of others or harm the legitimate rights and interests of tourism operators and tourism practitioners in tourism activities or when settling a dispute. 

Article 15 When purchasing and accepting tourism services, tourists shall truthfully inform the tourism operators of their personal health conditions relating to the tourism activities, and follow the safety warnings and requirements in tourism activities. 

Tourists shall act in line with the measures taken by the State which temporarily restrict tourism activities in order to settle major emergencies, as well as the security and emergency response measures taken by relevant departments, agencies or tourism operators.

Tourists who conduct against safety warnings and requirements, or refuse to act in line with measures taken by the State which temporarily restrict tourism activities in order to settle major emergencies, and security and emergency response measures shall bear corresponding responsibilities in accordance with the law. 

Article 16 Outbound tourists are not allowed to stay abroad illegally. Outbound tourists who travel in a group are not allowed to leave or separate from the group without permission. 

Inbound tourists are not allowed to stay within the territory of China illegally, or leave or separate from the group without permission if travelling in a group.

Chapter III Tourism Planning and Promotion

Article 17 The State Council and the local people’s governments above the county level shall incorporate the development of the tourism industry in the planning of national economic and social development. 

The State Council, the people’s governments of municipalities, provinces,  and autonomous regions, and people’s governments of prefectures and counties having districts with rich tourism resources under their jurisdiction shall organize the compilation of the planning for tourism development according to the requirements set in the national planning for economic and social development. When utilizing tourism resources covering multiple administrative regions that are good to be utilized as a whole, higher-level people’s governments shall organize the compilation, or relevant local people’s governments shall compile unified planning for tourism development through consultation.

Article 18 The planning for tourism development shall have such content as the overall requirements and development goals of the tourism industry, the requirements on and measures for the protection and utilization of tourism resources, as well as the requirements on the development of tourism products, the improvement of the quality of tourism services, the construction of tourism culture, the promotion of tourism images, tourism infrastructure and the construction of public service facilities, as well as promotional measures. 

Based on the planning for tourism development, the local people’s governments above the county level may develop special planning for developing and utilizing key tourism resources, and set special requirements for the tourism projects, facilities and supporting service functions in certain areas. 

Article 19 The planning for tourism development shall be matched with the master planning for land use, urban and rural planning, planning for environmental protection and the planning for protecting and utilizing other natural resources, cultural relics, among other humanistic resources. 

Article 20 People’s governments at all levels shall take into full consideration the requirements on the spatial layout and land for construction of relevant tourism projects and tourism facilities when developing the master planning for land use. The need to develop the tourism industry shall be taken into consideration when designing and constructing transport, communications, water supply, power supply and environmental protection infrastructure and public service facilities.