CNTA: Illegal Travel Agencies Outnumber Legal Ones

Zhang Jianzhong, the director of the Policy and Regulation Department of China National Tourism Administration, has disclosed to local media that the number of illegal travel agencies in China is triple to those of legal ones.

Zhang says that the Provisions for Travel Agencies, which will be enacted on May 1, 2009, lower the threshold for entering the travel market and this will be good for market competition. Zhang is confident that with open, sufficient and fair competition plus strict supervision, only the fittest will survive in the market and the market environment will thrive.

Zhang disclosed that there are about 19,800 legal registered travel agencies, but he added that the number of illegal travel agencies is three times to this.