Chinese tourists threatened to be kicked off bus for refusing to shop

The tourists had booked a seven-day tour of Sichuan, paying up to 2,000 yuan (US$275) per person, Jimu News reported.

On Feb. 2, the group departed from Chengdu to Huanglong, Sichuan. However, tensions arose on the third day when the tour guide became angry after some tourists declined to shop at designated stores.

While en route to Jiuzhaigou, the guide abruptly ordered all passengers to make purchases or risk being forced off the bus.

To pressure them further, the bus was parked for over 20 minutes in a remote area along the Minjiang River, where temperatures had dropped to minus 13 degrees Celsius amid ongoing snowfall, China Press reported.

Despite the freezing conditions and the presence of elderly people and children, the guide remained adamant about removing those who refused to shop.

A heated argument broke out between the tourists and the guide, with several passengers threatening to report the incident to tourism authorities.

Ultimately, the guide backed down and took the tourists to arrive at destinations safely.

On Feb. 15, local media attempted to contact the travel agency responsible for the tour but received no response, Noodou site reported. Later, the agency proactively reached out to the tourists to apologize and offered to refund part of their tour fees.

Last year, multiple incidents were reported in China where tourists were threatened by tour guides and pressured into buying overpriced products during package tours.