A group of 23 Singaporean tourists were allegedly locked inside a shop in China's Chengdu province after their tour guide pressured them to buy various items and refused to let them leave when they declined to make further purchases.
The incident came to light after singer Shawn Tok — winner of the 2007 Campus SuperStar competition — shared details of the trip on Instagram. Tok had been travelling with the group on a nine-day tour in November, according to reports by AsiaOne and 8Days.
During the tour, the group was taken to shops selling jade, silverware, combs and herbal medicine, where the guide allegedly insisted, they purchase the items to help him fulfil his sales quota. When some travelers refused, the guide reportedly blocked the group from exiting the shop.
Tok recounted that passengers were also denied rest on the tour bus and were instead forced to listen to repeated product pitches. The guide allegedly warned that he would cancel the tour altogether if they did not comply with the shopping stops.
By the end of the trip, the travelers estimated they had spent about 105,000 yuan (US$14,850). However, the guide insisted the amount was still insufficient. Tok later checked the tour contract and found no mention of compulsory purchases. He also noted that, under local regulations, unlisted shopping stops are illegal.
The tourists lodged a police report and submitted transaction records as evidence of what they described as a forced-shopping scam. Following the involvement of Chinese authorities, the tour agency reportedly issued a full refund to the group.
News of the incident has sparked heated discussion on social media, with many users warning against low-cost tour packages that may conceal aggressive sales tactics. "Either do free-and-easy travel or book with a reputable agency," one user advised. Others criticised the guide's alleged conduct, with one comment calling some tour guides "unreasonable beggars."
China has intensified efforts in recent years to curb forced-shopping practices, which often involve luring customers with cheap packages before pressuring them to buy goods at designated shops.
