le
principal Ordinance to require, as a statutory condition of
licence, that any person who wishes to provide outbound
travel services should be a member of an approved
S
organization.
The Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong
(TIC) will be designated the approved organization in the
new Schedule to the Ordinance. Travel agents will acquire
membership of the TIC by joining one of its six Association
le Members. TIC membership will be a pre-requisite for the
granting of a licence by the Registrar of Travel Agents.
The introduction of this licensing condition will
ensure that all licensees meet certain minimum requirements.
The membership criteria for joining the Travel Industry
Council will include, amongst other things, minimum capital
requirements and the provision of suitable commercial
premises and experienced staff to run the travel
the travel service.
The membership criteria set certain
set certain basic standards, but
they are not unduly onerous. Bona fide operators should
have no difficulty in meeting them.
In order to ensure that the membership criteria for
joining the TIC are administered fairly and impartially, an
appeals mechanism will be established. Under the new TIC
Constitution, to be adopted upon the incorporation of the
TIC, a travel agent, whose application to join any
been refused, may apply
le Association Member of the TIC has been refused,
for his case to be reviewed by an Appeal Board of the TIC