Sonny Lo says the fatal tragedy involving a mainland tourist shows it is high time the proposed Travel Industry Authority was set up and checks tightened on rogue agencies

Five years ago, when a Hong Kong-based tour guide named Ah Chun was exposed for abusing mainland tourists for allegedly not spending enough when shopping here, government officials responsible for tourism identified the need to set up a new regulatory body, the Hong Kong Travel Industry Authority (HKTIA). Yet we are confronted with the recent tragic incident that saw a mainland tourist allegedly kicked and beaten to death in a row over shopping in Hong Kong. A local travel agency involved was accused of falsifying documents and the case referred to the police.

Since the tourism industry is a pillar of our economy, it is imperative that the government end its dithering and set up the HKTIA without further delay. The new body's powers must include the strict supervision of all Hong Kong tour agencies plus the licensing and training of all Hong Kong-based tour guides.

With new agencies springing up and juicy commissions from shopping tours now a key element of many tours, no longer can our tour agencies and guides be expected to observe their own discipline and regulate themselves.

With the huge surge in cross-border mainland tourist numbers in Hong Kong in recent years, cross-border irregularities have increased alarmingly. These include the unethical behavior of tour guides, some of whom coerce mainland tourists into spending more so as to increase their own commissions and income. Another persistent problem is that mainland tour agencies offer excessively low-priced or even zero-cost visits to Hong Kong. The only way these agencies can recoup their outlays is for the visitors to be taken to "cooperative" jewelry and high-tech product stores where they are placed under heavy pressure to make purchases.

The China National Tourism Administration reacted swiftly to the recent tragedy by reminding mainland tourists that it was illegal to participate in the low-fare or free tours to Hong Kong. Hong Kong must now act in concert to plug any regulatory loopholes.

Tackling the problem of these el-cheapo tours requires cross-border cooperation between Hong Kong and its mainland counterparts to crack down on the mainland agencies and their Hong Kong collaborators. At present, there is a serious loophole in the mainland tourist regulations, including the phenomenon that some mainland tour operators imbedded themselves in the tour as guides to coerce mainland tourists to spend heavily when shopping in Hong Kong, with the collaboration of their counterparts in Hong Kong - thus perpetuating the problem of cross-border tourism abuses.

Compounding the problem was the fact that conflict-ridden relationships between the Hong Kong-based tour guides and mainland tourists have been portrayed in the mainland media as a manifestation of mainland-Hong Kong tensions. In reality, many Hong Kong-based tour guides are actually mainland migrants who are far more interested in coercing mainland tourists to dig deep into their pockets rather than explaining Hong Kong's cultural heritage and scenic spots to them.

The HKTIA will have to educate Hong Kong-based tour guides on professional conduct, ranging from ethical behavior to adopting a polite attitude toward mainland tourists. Ideally, they should also be made to study and understand Hong Kong's history and cultural heritage, so that instead of being sly touts for collaborating stores they become ambassadors, helping create a good impression of Hong Kong in the minds of mainland tourists. This, of course, is easier said than done due to their profit motive.

A more realistic approach than trying to reform these predatory rogues would be to attract secondary school-leavers and even university graduates to pursue professional careers as tour guides. Locally born graduates with a strong sense of belonging and pride in Hong Kong should be encouraged to become ambassadors and tourism interns for our vibrant city, using their communication skills to pass on to mainland tourists interesting details of Hong Kong's history, society and culture.

Once the HKTIA finally swings into action, its officers can be deployed as undercover agents to check whether any mainland and Hong Kong tour agencies violate the policy of zero tolerance of low-cost tours and coercive shopping. Local and mainland agencies that violate any cross-border tourism regulations should be fined and even blacklisted, thereby eliminating all rotten apples in the industry.

Finally, the Hong Kong retail and shopping sector should cooperate with the HKTIA to report any irregularities in the conduct of mainland and Hong Kong travel agencies.

The new authority's leadership should be composed of not only professionals in the travel industry but also representatives from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and from the police force. Once the authority is established, and the necessary rules and regulations are in place, the image of Hong Kong in the mind of mainland tourists will be restored and cross-border irregularities in tourism will be curbed.

Above all, the HKTIA needs to launch itself with a bang and with punchy and powerful slogans like "There's no such thing as a free trip to Hong Kong! It is a myth that mainland tourists are cheated and exploited in Hong Kong."

The author is professor and head of the Department of Social Sciences at the Hong Kong Institute of Education and is a long-time observer of developments in Hong Kong.

(HK Edition 10/30/2015 page10)