Beijing police crack down on illegal, exploitative tourism practices

Police in Beijing's Haidian district held 32 people under administrative detention amid a summer security campaign against illegal activities such as ticket scalping, unauthorized guides and unlicensed vending at popular tourist attractions, parks and universities.

According to the Haidian police, they recently intensified efforts to crack down on the practice of charging fees for unauthorized tours of universities.

Haidian is home to many prestigious universities including Peking and Tsinghua universities, which both opened their campuses this month. Visitors can book entry for free.

Some tour guides have exploited the opportunity to organize pricey tours of those renowned universities as tourists flocked to the capital during the summer holiday.

The Haidian police established a dedicated task force with the security departments of universities to step up efforts in combating these activities.

The police also deployed officers to conduct targeted patrols at popular attractions such as the Summer Palace and Yuanmingyuan Park, providing guidance to visitors and preventing overcrowding.

The police also conducted joint operations to tackle problems related to illegal taxis, unlicensed tour guides and vendors to maintain a safe and orderly tourism environment.

Some scalpers in Beijing have taken advantage of tourists' unfamiliarity with online booking services and turned free visits into paid services, leading to a crackdown on people who sold free tickets at inflated prices near the National Museum of China. Six people were criminally detained and three others faced administrative penalties.

The NMC is open to the public for free. Visitors need to make reservations through the official website, app, WeChat account or mini-program and register with their real names. Reservations can be made up to seven days in advance, and tickets are released daily at 5 pm.