China Tour Operator Comparison 1

Today I am going to discuss three well-known China tour operators mainly about their price, comfort, quality of service, value and experience. And then I am going to give a score (0-20) to each category so that the best tour operator can gain 100.

A. Pacific Delight Tours (PDT)

PDT has been in this business for almost 40 years. Although it changed ownership in 2006, it remains as one of the main player in China tour industry. Over 10,000 US travelers are traveling to China with PDT services every year. From PDT, you can find lots of journeys to mainly the major cities and Yangtze River, mostly from 13-17 days.

Top Strengths:
1. Reputation: Great reputation after almost four decades in service.
2. Options: With its advantage of huge agents and customers base, PDT is able to classify its tours into three basic categories: Gold (expensive but with better accommodation and National Guide), Escapade (to second-tier cities), and SuperValue.
3. Good Guides: Because PDT allows commissioned shopping to bring their costs and prices down and its bigger group size, they can attract very good guides to work for them in China.

Top Weaknesses:
1. Commissioned Shopping: You will have to go into stores at every destination.
2. Touring Experience: Since most of its destinations are major cities, Yangtze River and stores, you will miss many other exciting places all over China…

Price: 16
Comfort: 14
Service: 14
Value: 17
Experience: 11
Total: 72

B. China Spree

This is a US based travel company managed by Chinese. It has invested a lot of resources doing online marketing so you may wonder why you can find them everywhere on the internet! They also pay a lot to Google by its online ads.

Top Strengths:
1. Price: Can’t believe 7-day Beijing trip all inclusive (w/ intl. air) will only cost $588.
2. Travel Options

Weaknesses:
1. Comfort: It says it will use 4-star hotels in China. I want to remind you that 4-star hotels in China are not appealing at all… Only a few of them are just fine… I won’t recommend 4-star hotels especially in second-tier cities.
2. Touring Experience: You have to admit that one can’t get good quality service when it is offering such a low price.

Price: 19
Comfort: 11
Service: 12
Value: 17
Experience: 11
Total: 70

C. WildChina Travel

I have introduced in my previous article about WildChina. I personally like WildChina because it offers off-the-beaten path journeys to not only big cities, but also most of the remote but exciting places in China. If you are a traveler looking for some different, in-depth or cultural immersion travel to China, WildChina may be your best choice. However, since it is too unique, it can’t get large groups signing up its tours, so the price is so high…
Top Strengths:
1. Reputation: A lot of rewards earned from National Geographic Traveler magazine, Travel + Leisure magazine, National Geographic Adventure magazine, Conde Nast Traveler magazine, etc.
2. Tour experience: no commissioned shopping will be conducted
3. Quality of service

Weaknesses:
1. Expensive
2. Poor guides: because WildChina pays its guides instead of allowing them to do commissioned shopping. The good guides in China are reluctant to work for them.

Price: 11
Comfort: 19
Service: 16
Value: 15
Experience: 19
Total: 80

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