Jaunted

Tours / Tourists / Crime / → All Tags

Beware Of Tour Guides (And Tourists)

While in Japan tour guides have recently been excited about getting über-qualified, in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, they have more problems with tour guides attacking tourists (and being attacked themselves).

This week headlines hit about a Lijiang tour guide who stabbed 20 people (some seriously injured) after a huge argument over kickbacks on souvenir sales. While Time magazine dwells more on the guide's unhappy childhood, the China Daily had something a bit more startling report. A number of tourist guides from the area agreed that :

it is common for tourist guides from Kunming to be beaten up, because they often stop tourists from shopping in places outside the capital city.

We've been more than annoyed at times when a tour forces us into Uncle Joe's alabaster shop, but beating up your tour guide? We thought that'd be reserved for the guide who carries the most embarrassing flag or umbrella and makes all the tour members wear embarrassing "Hi, My Name Is..." stickers.

[Photo: A.M. Kuchling]

Related Stories:
· Tour Guide Stabs 20 In China [Time]
· Tour Guide Stabs 20 In Ancient City [China Daily]
· Octopus-Qualified Guides Wanted [Jaunted]