Zhangjiajie: "Tour First, Pay Later" Makes Credit-Based Tourism a Big Trend

Credit-based tourism is becoming a real trend in Zhangjiajie, Credit China (Hunan) reports, with the "tour first, pay later" model pioneered by a local inbound travel agency as a leading example.

Under the model, travelers pay a deposit when booking and settle the balance only after completing the journey and reviewing their experience. The arrangement shifts the risk from the traveler to the company — a structure the report describes as a concrete application of credit principles to tourism consumption.

The report situates the model within broader efforts to build a credibility system for the tourism industry, in which honest operators are rewarded with trust and market share, while dishonest practices are gradually priced out.

"When travelers pay after the trip, integrity stops being a slogan and becomes a business model," the report observes, calling the pilot "a win-win that deserves to scale".