(ECNS) -- Forty-three Chinese tourists lost their passports on June 30 when their guide was robbed after a visit to Stockholm City Hall in Sweden, Beijing Times reports.
They were having lunch after the visit, when a Caucasian man, who was wearing earphones and had been using his iPad, snatched the tour guide's bag and jumped into a car parked outside the restaurant.
The bag contained the passports of all group members as well as cash. They reported the car's license plate number to local police, who later found it was faked.
The tourists had to terminate their trip, which was originally planned from June 24 to July 6, according to one of the tourists, surnamed Bao, who added that they paid 15,600 yuan ($2,331.2) each for the trip.
They signed up for the holiday at Beijing Youth Travel Service on April 11, Bao told the paper. When he asked for compensation, the company replied that their partner Beijing Datang International Travel Service was responsible.
"So far, no concrete solution has been given and I fear they might evade responsibility," the paper quoted Bao saying.
An employee at Beijing Youth Travel Service confirmed that Beijing Datang International Travel Service was their tour operator, so it would take charge of compensation issues. Beijing Youth Travel Service promised to communicate with the operator and tourists, who can also file a complaint with Beijing's tourism commission.
Beijing Datang told the paper that arrangements had been made for the travelers to return to China starting from July 2. Six Beijing and four Jiangxi locals arrived in the first group, with the final 15 expected to return on July 4 .
An executive surnamed Li said Beijing Datang had paid for the tourists' accommodations as well as airfares to return following the incident, and would provide due compensation after all returned to China.
According to Bao, the tour also included members from Heilongjiang, Chongqing, Jiangxi, Hunan and Sichuan.
