An article in your newspaper recently covered a story of a tourist surnamed Zhu who was charged an unexpected 2,700 yuan ($424) for his dinner in a normal open-air restaurant in Qingdao, Shandong Province, during the National Day holiday, because the ordinary-sized shrimp he had ordered cost 38 yuan each, not per dish. 

It was the start of the most disappointing day in this customer's trip. What happened next only made him more frustrating. The owner of the restaurant refused to bargain, or negotiate with him. Local police claimed that Zhu's complaint was not within their jurisdiction. To cap it all, the local price bureau argued that they "could do nothing in 'an open market.'"

Fortunately, after Zhu posted his experience online, which sparked fierce debate among netizens, relevant departments finally started to investigate and fined the restaurant 90,000 yuan for its fishy - or shrimpy - bill.

There was nothing too unexpected about what happened to Zhu. The tourist market in China, which is relatively young, still needs healthy regulation. Especially during the holidays, when a large number of tourists flooding into limited areas within a short time, scammers naturally emerge as a side effect of the open market.

Overcharging can ruin people's mood during their holidays. Yet what's more distressing for tourists is perhaps failure to act by legal authorities. Inaction in such cases means aid, or at least complicity, in wrongdoing. When Zhu failed to get help from the police and the local price control bureau, he said he felt helpless, embarrassed and depressed.

Whether it's overcharged tourists or anyone who has been treated unfairly, the biggest injury for them is not an encounter with injustice, but the cold shoulder they get while seeking help from relevant authorities after experienced injustice.

Over the years, we have learnt to expect scams and rip-offs from different tourist attractions. Yet it was the inaction and neglect from local authorities that triggered such a drastic debate online this time. After the relevant department in Qingdao was held accountable for their actions two days after the case, the restaurant was fined in the end.

But why did it happen after it became an online scandal, not before it? The punishment afterward might calm down anger, but it remains hard to put off doubts and fears from the public. People have already realized that lack of forceful supervision over the problematic market and protection for the customers has already become the reason shopkeepers such as the restaurant owner charge tourists in this unbridled manner.

Qingdao, a city once famous for its friendly customs and hospitality, is now the butt of jokes. People say that the reason a Chinese celebrity from Qingdao who recently got married did not choose the city for his wedding receptions is because he cannot afford the food there.

Moreover, some netizens claimed that whenever someone mentions Qingdao, the 38-yuan shrimp will now be their first thought. The shrimp case will undoubtedly be a blow for this tourist city.

We can at least hope the overpriced shrimp will not ruin Qingdao's reputation, the Internet will not become the only form of supervision, and the punishment is not the end of the affair, but the start of a closer and harder look at tourism.

Zhang Ning, a freelancer in Beijing