Hong Kong tour guide stripped of licence over coercing visitors into shopping

A Hong Kong tour guide who coerced visitors into shopping has been struck off for damaging the sector’s reputation and breaching professional conduct, in the second disciplinary action of its kind in less than two months. The Travel Industry Authority said on Friday it revoked Siu Man-chung’s tour guide licence after investigating complaints that Siu made “inappropriate remarks” to pressure mainland Chinese visitors into shopping during tours between February and April. The authority said on Friday that it had taken disciplinary action in accordance with the Travel Industry Ordinance and revoked Siu’s credentials that same day. The authority did not release further details about the incidents. But it reiterated its “zero-tolerance” policy towards “coerced shopping and any behaviour that damages the reputation of Hong Kong’s tourism industry”. It also stressed: “Licensees must adhere to professional conduct and strictly comply with the provisions of the Travel Industry Ordinance and the [authority’s] directives for licensees.” The latest move followed disciplinary actions in April when the authority revoked the licences of both a travel agency and a tour guide, also over forced shopping practices targeting mainland tour groups. The agency in question was Star Link Travel and the tour guide involved was identified as Kuk Wa, who was found to have threatened that those who did not make purchases would be required to pay back the difference in tour costs. Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, supported the authority’s crackdown on “black sheep” in the trade but said he believed the recent cases were isolated. “It is an overstatement to say the malpractice of forced shopping has returned. The majority of our tourist guides are professional,” Chui said. “After Covid, over 5 million mainland tourists have come to visit us in tour groups. We only occasionally heard complaints about forced shopping. “But of course, one case is one too many and it should not be tolerated. The summer holiday is coming, and authorities should step up enforcement to get rid of unscrupulous tourist guides.” Despite the revival of inbound tourism after Covid, the demographics of mainland tourists have shifted, and many are spending less than before. They are younger and many prefer to explore at their own pace. Some also sign up for low-cost group tours, but sometimes find themselves pressured to spend during shopping excursions. Past complaints included tourists being berated or warned they would have no place to sleep unless they spent enough at designated stores. The watchdog also said on Friday that chairman Kevin Lam Sze-cay led an authority delegation to visit Shenzhen last month. They exchanged views with their mainland counterparts on closer cross-border cooperation to crack down on malpractices. Lam told Shenzhen officials that a mainlander was arrested for working illegally as a tour guide in Sai Kung during the Labour Day “golden week” holiday. The mainlander was subsequently sentenced to six weeks in jail in Hong Kong for breaching his condition of stay. Lam said the authority would step up publicity efforts asking tourists not to hire unlicensed guides. Tour guides must obtain a licence to operate. Offenders can be liable to a fine of HK$50,000 (US$6,380) and one year in jail. There were more than 5,000 licensed guides in Hong Kong as of the end of May. In addition, about 11,800 work as tour escorts accompanying tour groups and they also require licences. Hong Kong welcomed 18.5 million tourists in the first four months of this year, up by 15.2 per cent year on year. More than three-quarters, or 14.2 million, were from the mainland, up by 18 per cent from the same period last year. The authority was established in 2020 as a statutory regulatory body of the local travel industry. Its functions include promoting the integrity, competency and professionalism of travel agents, guides and tour escorts through a licensing and regulatory system. It also regulates shops patronised by inbound tour groups. The full implementation of the regulatory regime took effect in September 2022. All travel agents, tourist guides and tour escorts are required to comply with the ordinance, the directives for licensees, codes of conduct and guidelines issued by the authority.

Hong Kong tour guide stripped of licence over coercing visitors into shopping

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Disciplinary action by Travel Industry Authority is second of its kind in less than two months

Disciplinary action by Travel Industry Authority is second of its kind in less than two months