Even one bad apple can spoil tourist spots

AFTER A WRITER complained about a guesthouse in Shuangfeng Forest Farm in Hailin, Heilongjiang province, the local tourism bureau swiftly carried out an investigation and fined the owner of the guesthouse 59,000 yuan ($9,069) for fleecing tourists by charging exorbitant prices for rooms, services and food. Shenzhen News commented on Thursday:

The tourism authority's timely action is praiseworthy. Hopefully, its responsiveness stems from its resolve to maintain market order and not from a desire to hush up the incident, as now is the peak season for the local tourism industry.

The overcharging of tourists is probably not limited to that particular guesthouse, because the complaints in the article were echoed by some of its readers who had been to the snow town and shared their "memorable" experiences on social media.