Beijing Sightseeing - Bejing Xinhua International Tours

[Apalmetto]

We are planning a trip to Beijing in October and are considering using this tour company that is so widely advertized on the internet under Tour-Beijing dot com.

 

The email correspondence is quick and the details and price sound attractive, yet there is something suspicious about the mode of operation. Can anyone give me any information as to whether this is a legitimate tour company.

[OO7]

I've never heard of them. Be cautious of internet tour companies in China. Look at Viator to see what is offered. I'd be interested in knowing what you find out as I also am planning a trip to China.

[Jade13]

 

 

The email correspondence is quick and the details and price sound attractive, yet there is something suspicious about the mode of operation. Can anyone give me any information as to whether this is a legitimate tour company.

 

If you already feel they are suspicious, you should not even consider them.

[greatam]

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[greatam]

As I have posted soooo many times, BE VERY CAREFUL who you do business with in most parts of Asia. Capitalism/entrepreneurship is just coming into its own in the Communist countries that cruise ships stop in. EVERYONE with internet access and access to a vehicle wants to start a "tour" company. Do they KNOW what they are doing??? Some do and some don't. Some are merely acting as booking companies but present themselves as the tour operator. They talk to a REPUTABLE tour company, get the "tour agent" discounted price, put up a fancy website, then sell the SAME tour a few dollars cheaper than the REAL tour company. I know of one "tour" company in Phnom Penh Cambodia that uses the internet cafe. NICE website-they only book with other agencies, but the customer thinks they are the operator. IF something goes badly (which it has a couple of times), you will be hard pressed to get your money back or any satisfaction. PLEASE be careful.

 

And in China SPECIFICALLY, ALL travel agencies/tour companies are SUPPOSED to be affiliated with CTS (China Travel Service-the government). With the advent of the internet, CTS affiliation is non existent in a lot of tour agencies. There were quite a few people that I either know or know of that got badly burned on tours during the Olympics. One group paid for airline tickets/hotel to HKG through a tour agency. They checked out of their hotel in Beijing to go to HKG per the tour agency. NO airline tickets and hotel prices to stay in Beijing were SKY HIGH IF there was even availability. They ended up purchasing air tickets to Shenzhen, staying there and taking the ferry to HKG. Cost about $400pp for two days in HKG. And don't think your credit card company will automatically go to bat for you if you booked over 60 days BEFORE the event. They are hard pressed to get money back after that time. Just an FYI.

[greatam]

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[Farrlacey]

Hi Apalmetto - Did you book with Beijing Xinhua International Tours? We've been looking at their website too. Would be interested to hear if you did, and how it goes.