ENG-1998 — Page 345

TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Eric Tsang, Nat Chan, Priscilla Chan, Ekin Cheng and Lo Ka Leung, supported the campaign by participating in a series of television advertisements. The campaign was further publicised through newspapers, magazines and radio.

The HKTA also staged, as part of the Be A Good Host Campaign, an 828 Courtesy Day celebration, a Super Staff election campaign, a Discover Hong Kong Competition, a Mystery Shopper Programme and a range of other programmes aimed at service sectors such as taxi-drivers.

The HKTA is also working on the establishment of a ‘Quality Tourism Services' Scheme to enhance service quality in retail shops and restaurants throughout Hong Kong. This will involve a system of certification for those establishments that meet the prescribed service criteria. Special decals will be awarded to these establishments. The HKTA continues to play its role in the field of industry training and works closely with the Vocational Training Council and other institutes to ensure sufficient and relevant courses are available for industry practitioners, or those wishing to join it. The association publishes a Hotel, Catering and Tourism Courses Directory to provide comprehensive and detailed information about the availability of such courses.

To further raise service standards in the industry, the HKTA runs the Wonder-Host training programme, which was launched in January 1996 and has trained some 4 700 people from more than 280 HKTA member establishments.

The association publishes the membership directory for the Hong Kong Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators (HARTCO), which was established to maintain high professional standards among tour co-ordinators. The directory helps tourism personnel select qualified guides. The biannual Hong Kong Tour Co-ordinator of the Year Award was held in 1998, helping to improve service and courtesy standards further, and gaining recognition for the SAR's tour co-ordinators. Around 7000 nominations were received from visitors during the nomination period. The HKTA also assisted HARTCO in its successful bid to host the 8th World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations Convention in early 1999, providing local tour co-ordinators with an exceptional opportunity to share their experience with their overseas counterparts. With the support of the government's Service Support Fund, a study was conducted to evaluate the need to upgrade the service. professionalism of Hong Kong's tour co-ordinators. The study provided useful information about the nature and appropriate level and structure of training, as well as the accreditation needed to attain a world-class standard of service quality in this field.

Another new campaign created to raise service standards was the Hong Kong Award for Services programme, initiated by the government. Under its auspices, the HKTA organises the Tourism Services Award. In 1998, this award attracted entries from a variety or companies and organisations offering services or facilities to visitors.

The HKTA supports the Travel and Tourism Education Programme. In the academic year 1998/99, a total of 75 schools will have made Travel and Tourism a subject on their curriculum, reaching some 4 800 students. The HKTA also holds. regular career seminars, exhibitions and presentations to encourage school children to consider a career in tourism. In 1998, the association participated in the 8th Education and Careers Expo, creating a 'Tourism Street' that introduced career

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