China tours to S'pore & M'sia as low as S$460 per pax, tour guides & drivers sell souvenirs to earn more

Travel tours, also known as "shopping tours" (购物团) organised for Chinese tourists to Singapore, can go as low as S$460 to S$700 per pax.

These six-day, four-night shopping tours, which typically take travellers to Singapore and Malaysia, are currently available for tourists from China.

But such cost effective prices come with some side hustles.

Due to the tight budgets, drivers and tour guides tend to try and earn some extra cash by selling souvenirs to their tour group on the side, or via earning commissions from designated stores that they ferry tourists to.

Recently, a group of more than 20 Chinese tourists said their tour bus driver abandoned them by the roadside as they refused to buy the souvenirs he was selling.

Tour guides and drivers may try to earn extra cash through souvenirs

A travel agent told Shin Min Daily News that such tours are usually signed up for via China travel services, where the guides would bring the tourists to designated stores.

The travel agent showed the Shin Min reporter a leaflet from a Chinese travel agency, where a six-day, four-night tour of Singapore and Malaysia costs just S$740 (RMB3,998), which includes round-trip air tickets, hotel accommodation, meals, transportation, and tour guide services.

Itineraries often include attractions that would not cost money, including sightseeing in Little India, Chinatown and Haji Lane.

As the salaries for travel guides and drivers tend to be low for such tour groups, travel service companies would allow them to earn some extra money by selling small souvenirs, such as keychains and fridge magnets.

The agent said since more such tour groups have been coming to Singapore, drivers may feel discontent with their wages, especially with the increased workload.

"Although drivers should not vent their emotions on passengers, the root of the problem is still the initial arrangement," the agent said.

Before departing on the tour, tourists reportedly have to sign an agreement stating they will visit two designated shops during the trips, which may range from selling jewelry, medicated oils, and local specialties.

A quick search by Mothership showed that there were six-day, four-night tours that go as low as S$620 (RMB3399) per pax.

A sales director, who has been in the industry for more than 10 years, told Shin Min that an average four-day, three-night tour would cost at least S$1,400 per person and does not include round-trip plane tickets.

According to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) website, a licensed tour guide should not "act as a tout for any person or receive any commission, payment, gift or consideration of any kind from any person for the purpose of bringing a tourist to patronise the business of that person or of any other person".

Chinese tourists who were abandoned have returned to China

The tourists who were apparently abandoned by their tour bus driver have returned to China.

The Chinese Embassy in Singapore confirmed with Shin Min that after contacting the group's tour guide and their local tour liaison personnel, another vehicle was dispatched to pick up the Chinese tourists.

"We understand that the day after the incident, the tour group continued to Malaysia as per their itinerary, and returned to China on Aug. 19," the spokesperson added.

An STB spokesperson told Mothership on Aug. 23 it is currently investigating all the involved parties for a thorough assessment of the matter.

"The safety and well-being of visitors to Singapore is of utmost importance, and we are committed to upholding Singapore's reputation as a safe and welcoming destination for all visitors," the STB spokesperson said.

Top image via sohu.com and garygaryocp/TikTok