TRAVEL AND TOURISM
are committed to developing Hong Kong's status as a venue for international meetings, conventions and incentive events. They work closely with the HKTA in spreading Hong Kong's message among their overseas counterparts and business associates.
Local Activities
The association intensified its community-wide Be A Good Host campaign. Launched in 1998, the campaign encourages Hong Kong people to learn more about their home, and therefore take more pride in it. A complementary aspect of this campaign was its call to extend a courteous welcome to visitors and help them also to feel at home. The campaign was publicised through newspapers, magazines, television and radio. In conjunction with this year's campaign, the HKTA staged a range of programmes for specific front-line service personnel, including taxi drivers and retail staff.
The Quality Tourism Services Scheme issues certificates and special promotional decals to tourism-related establishments that satisfy prescribed criteria in the delivery of high standards of service.
In addition, the HKTA for 30 years has tutored teams of 'Student Ambassadors' to speak knowledgeably about Hong Kong's attractions at their overseas colleges. More recently, the HKTA has reached out to national groups of volunteer 'Goodwill Ambassadors', initially drawn from Hong Kong's resident Japanese population. During 1999, resident Americans and Australians also signed up as honorary ambassadors to promote Hong Kong.
To further raise standards in the industry, the HKTA runs the Wonder-Host training programme. Started in 1996, it has trained some 5 700 staff from more than 350 HKTA member establishments.
In its third year of operation, the Government's Hong Kong Awards for Services scheme attracted around 30 per cent additional entries from the tourism industry, many from the target areas of small and medium-size businesses. The HKTA continued to organise the Tourism Services Award and HKTA Awards.
Outbound Travel
Travel agents engaged in outbound travel services from Hong Kong are subject to a regulatory regime. The regime is aimed at minimising the occurrence of fraud, and loss to travellers in the event of default by travel agents. The legislative framework is set out in the Travel Agents Ordinance. The ordinance provides for a regulatory structure made up of two components: a licensing authority and a self-regulatory organisation.
The Registrar of Travel Agents is appointed under the ordinance to carry out the licensing function. All travel agents providing outbound travel services must be licensed under the ordinance. As at December 31, 1 146 travel agents were licensed. This requirement provides the first line of protection for consumers against default. It aims to enable the public to identify bona fide travel agents and to prevent undesirable characters from operating as travel agents. Under the ordinance, the registrar may, after investigation, suspend or revoke the licence of a travel agent found to be operating against the public interest.
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