Hong Kong’s tourism industry is calling for tougher measures against forced shopping after two travel agencies and a tour guide had their licenses suspended.
Sara Leung Fong-yuen, a tourism consultant with the Federation of Hong Kong Trade Unions, welcomed the action but urged authorities to strengthen regulations and deterrence, Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK reported.
Leung called for stricter enforcement, including jail terms for offenders and rewards for whistleblowers to help address a shortage of inspectors.
She said low-cost tour groups remain particularly vulnerable to forced shopping because agencies use cheap packages to attract tourists before pressuring them to shop to recover costs and make profits.
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Travelers on low-cost tours walk to a tourist bus after lunch at To Kwa Wan in Hong Kong, China, March 30, 2023. Photo by Reuters |
Lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung also called for stronger training and enforcement, urging travel agencies to provide tour guides with clear written and verbal instructions against illegal shopping practices, The Standard newspaper reported.
The Travel Industry Authority (TIA) earlier this week suspended licenses of two agencies Go Go Ming Travel Services Limited and Grandee Travel Company Limited, and the tour guide Sun Kwun-ying over forced shopping involving tour groups, the South China Morning Post reported.
The TIA said it has zero tolerance for forced shopping and other misconduct that could harm Hong Kong’s reputation as a tourist destination.
Hong Kong, the world’s second most visited city after Bangkok, welcomed 31.22 million visitors in the first seven months of the year, a 12% increase from the same period last year.