It’s time to comply, Hong Kong commerce minister tells city’s renegade tour operators’ groups
Greg So advises that Travel Industry Council’s stricter rules meant to safeguard visitors’ rights must be followed as a union argues the watchdog lacks authority
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung on Thursday hit out at tour operators for launching a non-compliance campaign against new measures aimed at better protecting visitors’ rights.
So said such behaviour upset the order in the tourism industry and would cause undesirable impact on tour operations and efforts to safeguard visitors’ rights.
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“The government and the Travel Industry Council will not sit idly by in the face of such behaviour,” So said. The police and the council inspected tourist attraction sites and would follow up on instances of non-compliance with the new rules, he added.
One of the two groups, Hong Kong Tourism Practitioners’ Union, said the council had no power to monitor tour operators.
The two groups launched with six retailers their own programme promising refunds within six months of purchase. Their member tour guides also planned not to wear their badges, a move that directly went against the council’s new rules.
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So said the council was the only government-approved organisation to implement the new rules under related ordinances and that it had the power to monitor the industry’s practices.
The council’s new measures included a refund protection scheme to enable group visitors from the mainland who made purchases at registered shops to receive full refunds if they lodged their requests within six months of the purchase in question.
It also planned to increase spot checks at tourist attractions and shops joining its initiative to ensure strict adherence to the rules.
