In Hainan Province, officials in the city of Sanya, a holiday resort in south China's Hainan Province, have apologized for overcharging tourists.

A quick response for obvious mistakes - Hainan government officials apologize to the public.

Jiang Sixian, vice governor of Hainan Province, said, "We fully understand the public's expectations of Hainan as a hot tourism spot. And we'll carry on investigations over the complaint cases we have received. Cheating customers is hurting not only the city of Sanya, but also Hainan Province as a whole. And it is not at all tolerable."

And what's said is done. The provincial industries and commercial administration has published guideline prices for items including sea food, taxi fares and accommodation.

Chen Jinbo, researcher of Market Prices Bureau in Sanya, said, "Take sea food for example, we have published the range of prices for sea food. And we'll be monitoring the enforcement of the policy. We've taken full consideration of the interest of business people, but they can't jump over the price cap."

Hainan Province is an island located on the southern tip of China. In recent years, it has become a famous tourism destination and an engine for local economic growth. Yet complaint cases of tourists being overcharged or even cheated have tarnished the reputation of the island.

Some people have been forced to pay several thousand yuan for a few simple dishes in a basic restaurant. The local government has vowed to stop the cancer from spreading before it slows down the engine.

(CNTV.cn February 2, 2012)