A Hong Kong tour guide accused of threatening visitors into making shopping purchases 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 inbound mainland Chinese visitors into shopping during tours conducted between February and April this year.
The authority said in a Friday statement that it took disciplinary action in accordance with the Travel Industry Ordinance and revoked Siu’s tour guide licence that same day.
The authority did not release further details about the incidents in the statement.
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 a travel agency and a tour guide, also over forced shopping practices targeting mainland inbound 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.
The authority also said on Friday its chairman Kevin Lam Sze-cay led a delegation to visit Shenzhen last month to call on their mainland counterparts and exchange views on closer cross-border cooperation to crack down on malpractices.
Lam told Shenzhen officials that the authority arrested a mainlander for working illegally as a tour guide in Sai Kung during the Labour Day “golden week” holiday.
Lam said the authority would step up publicity to ask tourists not to hire unlicensed tour guides.
Tour guides in Hong Kong 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 are more than 5,000 licensed tourist guides in Hong Kong as of the end of May. In addition, about 11,800 work as tour escorts accompanying tour groups and who also require licences.
Hong Kong welcomed 18.5 million tourists for the first four months of this year, up 15.2 per cent year-on-year. More than three-quarters were from the mainland.