LAI YING-KIT AND CHRISTY LEUNG
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 12 November, 2015, 12:01am
UPDATED : Thursday, 12 November, 2015, 5:34am
The government wants to lure more mainland tourists to Hong Kong. Photo: AFP
The government will allocate HK$5 million to beef up Hong Kong's image as a travel destination to mainland tourists, commerce minister Greg So Kam-leung said yesterday.
The money will be used by the Tourism Board to step up promotions on mainland internet forums, travel information websites and traditional media such as newspapers.
It follows a number of scandals in which unscrupulous tour operators lured tourists with very low tour fees but then pushed them into spending at shops. Tour agencies fear the city's reputation has been tarnished.
In the worst incident, a man from Heilongjiang died after being beaten up in Hung Hom while trying to mediate in a row over "forced shopping".
So outlined the measures after meeting tourism officials in Beijing to discuss ways to crack down on malpractices.
He said the campaign would give tips to visitors on how to choose honest tour groups - those that do not force anyone to shop and do not impose extra fees for visiting sightseeing spots.
He said tourists on cheap or "zero cost" tours mostly came from the north, northeast and west of the mainland, so the campaign would target them.
"We hope the measures will help mainland customers to smartly choose quality and honest tours to Hong Kong," So said.
During the meeting with officials from the National Tourism Administration, So discussed other steps unveiled by the government last week. He was joined by Hong Kong Tourism Industry Council chairman Michael Wu Siu-ieng and chief executive Joseph Tung Yao-chung.
The measures included handing to mainland authorities the names of suspected "shadow visitors" - people who encourage tourists to spend - and requiring agencies to publicise travel fares.
So said mainland tourism officials welcomed the measures.
The Tourism Commission received 192 complaints from mainland tour group travellers in the first nine months of the year, according to figures submitted to the Legislative Council yesterday.
Eighty-nine related to coerced shopping by tour guides and 111 were linked to shopping in stores designated by agencies.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1877933/hong-kong-tourism-chiefs-plan-hk5m-campaign-reassure-mainland
