HK ban on forcing Chinese to shop

Vaudine England
BBC News, Hong Kong

Putting pressure on tourists to shop is no longer allowed

Hong Kong travel agencies bringing tours from China will no longer be allowed to force tourists to shop.

The Travel Industry Council will fine agencies that fail to give tourists detailed itineraries.

Agencies also have to issue reminders that tourists do not have to go shopping if they do not want to.

The move follows an outcry over "zero-fee" tours, in which guides make only the commission gained from the shops to which they take their clients.

From now on, travel agencies must provide written guarantees to tourists from China that they will not be forced into shopping.

They must tell the visitors exactly what they'll be doing during their stay and list all extra charges.

And they must make it clear that any purchases that are made in Hong Kong can be returned within 14 days.

Any travel agents failing to protect their tour members in this way could be subject to hefty fines of up to US$25,000.

Fury of abandoned tourists

The new measures are the result of a period of soul-searching in the tourism industry, after a tour guide deserted a group of mainland tourists last October.

The guide was frustrated that the tourists were not spending enough money in specified shops where the guide hoped to earn a commission.

The tourists were outraged at being put under such pressure and subsequently left to fend for themselves.

Other cases have emerged of groups forced to pay fees, including transportation charges, which they thought had been included in the package price.

Hong Kong wants to attract 26 million tourists this year, after failing to meet its target of 27 million last year.

This still marks an overall growth in tourism, although officials are worried about being overtaken by the nearby gambling enclave of Macau.

More than half of the tourists coming to Hong Kong come from China, so keeping them happy - and free of the pressure to shop - is a priority.