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Wednesday, August 30, 1972
PACKAGE TOUR OPERATIONS BEING REVIEWED
The Financial Secretary, the Hon. C.P. Haddon-Cave, said today he
understood the various bodies represented on the Hong Kong Tourist Association
were considering the whole question of how package tour operations were
organised and conducted.
They might well recommend legislation which would incorporate
compulsory registration of tour operators and travel agents and sanctions for
commercial misbehaviour, however this might be defined, he said.
He was speaking in the Legislative Council in reply to the Hon. P.C.
Woo who had asked: "In view of recently reported malpractices, will Government consider taking early appropriate steps such as the compulsory registration of tourist agencies with sanctions for their de-registration if a proper
standard of business ethics is not maintained?"
The Financial Secretary continued: "The Government will examine any
proposals put to us, but I cannot guarantee that they will be accepted.
"Rather we may well come to the conclusion that the problem can
better be approached through action by the Hong Kong Tourist Association and the Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents with their individual members and by better publicity amongst tourists," he said.
Mr. Haddon-Cave said this sort of approach rather than the restriction of competition would seem to him to be preferable to the introduction of
restrictive legislation with all the attendant administrative costs and
complications.
/As regards