CNDSN4 month 21 days [] (Sohu) the evening of April 17th bee invited to participate in a motorcycle and foreign tour as the theme of the party, 6 people, in addition to other bees students 4 people meet for the first time.

The just concluded trip Zhengzhou guy A member, in the circle of friends drying out and Philippines beach,outdoor swimming pool, a restaurant, a five-star hotel with elegant environment side eye-catching bluebanner "You should be here (you should be here)".

The blue banner has a specific meaning. Basically, all participated in the World Ventures (hereinafter referred to as WV) tourism products the company's "Dream Trip" (dream) people will hit the banner. 2014has been achieved in the direct selling license conditions, the product, has quietly infiltrated the Chinamarket. WV members said, wait for another six months the company will be landing in the country.

WV is an enterprise what? Its name is "the dream journey round the world travel group" Chinese WeChatpublic number self introduction: WV is the world's largest travel club, with millions of members in 28 countries, is the world's top 100 selling only a travel company. WV company is a member of the tourismexperience products, including 193 countries around the world travel packages, and can be ordered separately, cruise tickets, hotel, to ensure that the global minimum.

All the good that is to become a member. In accordance with the recommendation of the club, "to become a member, not only can enjoy the world's low-cost travel, travel agents can also be free and all of the following: the global tourism products include air tickets, hotels, luxury cruise tour, holiday house, car, tourpackages and other tourism related services products".

WV members describe the business model for the "entity + online travel business model +O2O membership of Travel + direct bonus system line". According to WV's bonus system, members may not stop the "recommended" other people to join, to get the recommended award and "passive income", some memberseven can get $100000 salary "".

"Passive income" temptation

Bees learned that the tour Direct Selling Company have launched a 2015 version of the bonus system. In this version, the members according to the sales performance, divided into SR (senior representatives), DIR(director), MD (Marketing Director), RMD (Regional Director), MDR (National Director) and IMD (GlobalDirector) 6 levels. Its members to become IMD, will be able to achieve the weekly earnings of $25000,$100000 a month, and the passive income $50000 "".

To become a IMD, need to be under the command of 3000 or 1500 platinum gold member.

Gold member is the most basic Dream Tour membership, membership dues to pay $199.99 and $49.98 a month, get 200 points and 50 points per month. Use these credits also have the corresponding provisions,for example, need to use 200 points within the first 12 months, the monthly 50 points, need to use 12 monthsafter accumulation.

Platinum membership requirements are relatively high, for example, the membership fee to $299.99, the return of 300 points, the monthly fee $99.99, to 100 points.

However, the 2015 edition of the fee adjustment seems to overall lower admission threshold. Zhengzhou guy A membership in the second half of 2014, to pay the monthly fee of $110.98 per month $399.94membership fee and. The $300 membership fee and monthly most can be used to buy travel packages on the website.

Like A think a good deal, he told the bees, joined the WV3 weeks, there have been $2800 and $1800 in cash in the account integration, she has all the fees paid by introducing an "earned" friends way back after joining WV.

"It is a 9 year history of the Usa Inc, the real purpose is to increase membership." A new member of eachintroduction membership can return $50 in cash, and $200 can buy any integral tourism products. A total of4 friends to join this can avoid paying a monthly fee, the more, the more feedback."

"This business model itself with frequent flyer membership lock to improve consumer loyalty is not a problem.The key lies in the mechanism of his profits, "Li Zhou, director of Shenzhen Tourism School of Tourism Management Department of Jinan University said," all consumers to participate in his share of the profits, itis somewhat similar to pyramid model, there may be a problem."

In the A bonus system of bees to write on, any member can be recommended a platinum member directreferral bonus $50, if in any 28 consecutive days during the period, the direct recommendation 3 members,either gold or platinum member, can get a quick $100 referral bonus. If more than 28 days in the sameperiod, each time continues to recommend more than 3 members, can get extra $150 referral bonus.

This kind of passive income, in accordance with the "every new member, can complete the 2 member" in 1 weeks or 1 months to twelfth months, the cumulative reach 4096 members, the passive income will exceed $50000, not wages and salary plus. A member of the WV claims, the company in the past 8 years, have a lot of income of over a hundred million members.

Beijing Pacific Century (Guangzhou) senior partner of the law firm Liu Hewei lawyers believe that, from the point of view of the WV bonus system, its membership development approach, is to develop number to calculate compensation, essentially belongs to the "a number of development personnel as payment or return basis" pyramid selling activities.

Liu Hewei lawyers, "according to the" opinions of the Supreme People's court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ministry of public security on Several Issues concerning the application of law for theorganizational leadership pyramid selling criminal cases "(public and pass the word 2013 No. 37), marketing activities of the organizers or leaders through the development of staff, asked the marketing activities of the development of other staff development personnel to join, to form the offline relationships, and the following line sales performance for the calculation and payment of compensation lines, seek illegal interests, is the"team payment "pyramid selling activities."

And direct marketing, one of the poor. According to WV's official introduction, WV is the only global tourismmarketing enterprises. A also told the bees WV is to enter the Chinese market, and will carry out the corearea of Hongkong as the Asian business, has set up an office in Hongkong. In 2015 February, WV will holdpeople meeting in Hongkong Convention and Exhibition Center, the company in China has been in the direct selling license applications.

"Tourism marketing" compliance risk

Reporters in the Ministry of Commerce of the direct selling industry China management information systembased on "WV Dream Tour", "World Ventures" and "the dream journey round the world travel group" and other keywords to search, did not find the relevant enterprises to apply direct statement. In 2014, in accordance with the provisions issued 15 enterprises to apply direct statement in the tourism business, and not related to the company. The afternoon of January 21, 2015, the Ministry of Commerce to the interface ofnews reporters to verify, get the answer is, the WV is certainly not a direct selling license application. This reporter repeatedly call the WV office in Hongkong, no one answered the phone was transferred to voice mail.

For the practice of compliance or not, members and experts two. "WV dream" a self proclaimed "the way the teacher" the early member told reporters: "(WV) this is perfectly legal, the country has thirty thousand or forty thousand members, members of the development is very fast. We are registered in Hongkong to become a member, the company this year will be landing in mainland china."

For the direct selling license, WV members did not seem to realize the legal risk. WV Dream Tour Chineseteam asked: "who is now direct sales model have a license?" He said, "even many wineries have startedselling the product is no problem, as long as you can."

The staff further added, "after half a year when WV landed in the country, so the time (money) did not. We (China) group has thousands. "

Liu Hewei lawyers pointed out, direct tourism mode is possible in China, but must comply with the relevant provisions of "direct selling regulations". According to the "direct selling regulations" article thirteenth: direct sales enterprise and its branches may recruit sales promoters. Direct selling enterprises and their branchesoutside of any unit or individual shall not recruit salespeople. So before did not apply to the direct sales business qualifications, recruitment of members is illegal.

A member of the WV in the recruitment of an occasion said, "we have no direct transaction of products and customers, just below the line marketing, direct online trading customers and the company. Is a kind oftourism electronic commerce, is also a member of the economy."

Liu Hewei lawyer believes that, although the tourism sector is not direct related legislation, but the relevant legislation for direct sales, marketing, whether it is the tourism enterprises, or enterprises engaged in high-tech information, as long as the direct selling, pyramid schemes, are required to comply with the relevant domestic laws.

"Don't drill tourism", "director Wang Hong 12301 tourism hotline said:" issued by the Ministry of Commerce of the direct selling is a licence, if any industry in the Ministry of commerce did not receive the license plate of the direct selling is illegal."

Other members of the legal profession reporter visited also held the same view. "With this Shi Bushi physical goods it doesn't matter, as long as he Chinese did not get a license, can not be direct. It does not constitute a pyramid structure to control the composition of pyramid selling condition judgment. His future availability of license is another matter, the key is whether or not he's holding a direct selling license in china. Why else would he not in the country to get direct selling license rush began recruiting members? I generally tend to he a pyramid. " Shenzhen, a reluctance to disclose the names of the legal profession to news reportersinterface.

"In addition, even if held in Hongkong million years, cross-border investigation to application needs to beextra special procedures, or different in Hongkong and the mainland, can not be held in Hongkong in large-scale activities as judge the legitimacy basis." The person added.

According to the reporter, a member of the WV in the second half of 2014 began the simplified form Chinesepush member tourism project information in the China social media platform.

In did not obtain direct selling license of the occasion, WV has recruited members at home, but also to "pull the head", "entrance fee", "multi level", "team payment" as the main feature, the so-called "products" or pay the membership fee is non refundable. Liu Hewei lawyer thought, from the activities of its members, themodel in line with the characteristics of the pyramid selling activities.

Liu Hewei lawyer explained, to sales of goods for the purpose, to sales as the payment according to thesimple "team payment" pyramid selling activities, not as a crime. The form of "team payment", but in factbelong to "a number of development personnel as payment or return basis" pyramid schemes ", should be in accordance with the provisions of the criminal law" one of 224th, to the organization, leadership pyramid schemes crime.

"Free travel" debate

Under the WV membership to describe the elements of a dream trip, the most attractive is: passive income and free travel.

The traditional domestic tourism practitioners have their own interpretation of such business model. The United Arab Emirates Qi Xi International Travel Service Guangzhou manager leaves Liuling told reporters:"in the long run, the cost can not be avoided, free travel is not reality. This model to the development of a lot of people do."

Even if the WV members to participate in any tour of WV's can use integral members or member discount,but members of integral is derived from the membership fees and dues paid for 12 months.

Ye Liuling further pointed out that, unlike the domestic foreign hotel group purchase and pay attention to the concept of the hotel or the number of guests, but individual long-term tenants preference. "Do you think the real money thing so publicity?"

Shenzhen, a veteran of 10 years of experience in international tourism planning told reporters: "this is totally different from the traditional business, profit is not like the traditional tourism industry." She thinks, themember will be tasted the sweetness, but in Chinese mainland will have good development. "The tourism industry is a very traditional, is an important part of partners, suppliers. Relying solely on the line with theline, is ambiguous and vague, the economic chain of personal hard to say the truth."

Some industry observers accepted membership in this direction. "Recently Chinese consumers to accept,also requires a process. There have been high-end travel custom club membership customized way, also walk." Li Zhou, director of Shenzhen Tourism School of Tourism Management Department of Jinan Universitypoints out that, from the academic research point of view, she personally agree with the membershipmanagement pattern, the service industry, especially the high-end service industry, as well as to meet theneeds of niche market, has the help very much. Now there are golf, art, marathon theme tourism, have a good response.

"You see a lot of direct international travel agency, the next line shop is closed, no longer operating the most fundamental reason is not to the terminal consumers interests, if you can provide benefits to consumers,there are still living space." Li Zhou said, "but now the domestic policy is opaque, there are gray areas,coupled with the domestic pressure on the club, which makes a lot of people do not know what it can do,what not to do."

Tourism marketing will be the domestic consumers to accept? Deputy Secretary General of GuangzhouAssociation of travel agents, deputy general manager of Guangdong livid International Travel Service Co. Ltd. Du Hui told reporters: "at present, direct travel with the traditional travel agency industry difference is too big."

Du Hui further said, the domestic tourism consumption or traditional state, the only use technical means to carry out marketing online. Tourism marketing in the domestic audience and not too wide, because Chinesetraditional consumption habits and attitude differences. Although the "tourism law" no specific requirements,but the market is subject to regulation of tourism, travel agencies have solid support compliance, or wouldlike to emerging network platform as the passive. According to the specification of the tourism law of the normal tourism is difficult, get a licence.

"The concept of consumption of different minority groups will participate in general, common development is unlikely to." Du Hui added. "

(original title: WV O2O is the dream is travel direct marketing? )

Editor: Wan Wan