‘It makes no sense to shut them away’: travel industry figures and mainland Chinese tourists say cap on budget tours to Hong Kong would be step too far
- Starry Lee, Hong Kong’s sole delegate to nation’s top legislative body, has said city should stop leaving door wide open for budget tour groups from mainland
- But tour group experts and sightseers from over border question financial wisdom and fairness of keeping certain visitors out
Members of Hong Kong’s travel industry and mainland visitors have cautioned against adopting a proposal to cap the number of budget tours to the city floated after residents in one neighbourhood complained about crowded streets, which no longer appeared to be a problem after new measures were adopted.
The industry representatives and tourists were responding to the call by Starry Lee Wai-king, the city’s sole delegate to the nation’s top legislative body, for the city to stop leaving the door wide open for budget tour groups from the mainland, warning the situation would only worsen during the “golden week” in May.
Lee, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, told a district council meeting earlier that inexpensive tours were often associated with forced shopping, which could tarnish Hong Kong’s image, and undermine the government’s vision to develop the city into a cultural hub.
One mainland tour guide leading a group of about 40 tourists from Sichuan province on Saturday called the suggestion “ridiculous”.
“The mainland tourists are just travelling around in their home country,” the woman, who declined to give her name, said. “Hongkongers can visit the mainland any time too. It makes no sense to shut them away.”
A visit to To Kwa Wan found the neighbourhood less busy than last weekend after the Travel Industry Authority and police implemented crowd-control measures.
Some residents had voiced frustration over the hundreds of tourists lining the streets while waiting to be seated for lunch at a restaurant. Photos circulating online showed sightseers in other parts of the city eating on the street or outside public toilets.
Hong Kong tourism chief vows tougher curbs amid complaints against tour groups
On Saturday, outside the same restaurant on Sung On Street, tour group members were entering as soon as they got off the coaches. About half a dozen police officers were stationed outside the restaurant and across the street to assist with crowd management. The industry authority and the restaurant also sent people to help usher along the tour groups.
Coaches were barred from waiting outside the restaurant and could only pick up the visitors in car parks several blocks away.
They were required to leave the restaurant through the back door after 30 minutes and immediately board the buses. The tour groups were given only a few minutes to collect their members and they were required to form two queues to leave enough space for pedestrians to pass.
Fei Hengli, a 68-year-old tourist from Sichuan province, said she was pleased with her one-day visit to Hong Kong, part of 12-day journey across southern China that cost 4,000 yuan (HK$3,500).
“The price is not expensive, but the experience is fair enough, none of us feel mistreated,” she said. “It would be a lot better if people of different income levels could visit Hong Kong. This is a great city to visit.”
Feng Liangmei, a Chongqing tourist in her 40s, said she hoped people could be more patient with mainland tourists, especially the elderly.
“Some elderly tourists may appear a bit uncivilised and have poor hygiene habits, but some simply can’t help it due to their physical condition,” she said. “But these are isolated incidents.”
Gianna Hsu Wong Mei-lun, chairwoman of the Travel Industry Council, said residents should not judge group tours by how much they cost, but rather by how they were managed and the services delivered.
“It would take some time for the market to explore the most appropriate pricing for group tours,” she said. “But no matter how much the tours cost, they are all providing genuine travel experiences, and the tourists are well-aware of their itineraries and meal arrangements.”
Hong Kong leader demands better crowd control for mainland Chinese tour groups
Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said regulating budget tours was not practicable and could infringe upon consumers’ rights.
“We should resolve these issues rationally and peacefully, instead of resorting to such an aggressive solution,” he said, adding budget tours helped sustain the transport and hotel industries.
The Travel Industry Authority on Friday stressed it had no plans to ban budget tours.
The two restaurants in To Kwa Wan catering to mainland tour groups over the past week vowed to impose special measures in light of the complaints, such as allowing patrons 30 minutes to eat, introducing a special reservation system and keeping the number of bookings in line with their capacity.
The Home Affairs Department has also pledged to hire district tourism ambassadors to help with crowd control from April.
Despite the changes, some To Kwa Wan residents remained wary of the tour groups.
“I don’t think the situation has improved a lot, the street is still quite crowded. I often try to avoid this area, especially when I am with my two children,” said Peggy Mak, a housewife in her 30s.
Mainland Chinese tourists on low-cost Hong Kong trips soak up city sights
Eddy Chan, a 32-year-old clerk, said: “Many mainland tourists are still spitting on the street and smoking. That’s not good for both the hygiene and the cityscape.” Separately, the long-haul services of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link fully resumed on Saturday, connecting Hong Kong and destinations outside Guangdong Province. The MTR Corporation estimated more than 30,000 passengers left Hong Kong via the link throughout the day.
The service offers 164 trips per day, with 22 direct trips to top destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai and Changsha, among others.
