ENG-2000 — Page 365

TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Tourism Friendliness

Tourist District Enhancement/Visitor Signage Improvements

To help make Hong Kong more visitor-friendly, two pilot schemes for visitor signage improvements were launched in Stanley and Central. Another pilot scheme for tourist district enhancement has been planned for the Central and Western District. The latter scheme includes improving the street appearance of Hollywood Road and Upper Lascar Row, and upgrading the information boards along the Sun Yat Sen Heritage Trail. Experience gained in these pilot projects could be extended systematically to other districts that attract tourists.

An open design competition was launched in mid-2000 to invite design concepts for beautifying the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. The winning entries will form the basis for designs for making landscaping improvements to the Promenade.

Service Quality

The Quality Tourism Services (QTS) Scheme was launched in 2000 for retail shops and restaurants. The scheme forms part of the continuing effort to promote good service among service providers. During the year, 510 organisations representing 1 853 outlets joined the QTS Scheme. The HKTA will continue to promote the scheme with the aim of building up its reputation as a symbol of quality standards for reference by visitors. The HKTA also organises the Be a Good Host campaign with a view to promoting a hospitality culture.

Facilitation of Visitor Entry

In 2000, the Mainland authorities approved a series of enhancement measures. One of these concerned the 'simplified entry arrangement' enabling overseas visitors' group tours to visit Shenzhen, via Hong Kong, for a period of 72 hours. Under the enhancement, the time period has been extended to 144 hours and the scope of travel has been widened so that it covers 10 cities in the Pearl River Delta region. The number of Hong Kong travel agents designated to organise such tours will also be increased. During the year, the Government also agreed with the Mainland authorities the introduction of new measures to enhance the Hong Kong Group Tour Scheme for visitors from the Mainland. The new arrangements include increasing the daily quota of visitors from 1 500 to 2 000, increasing the number of designated travel agents from four to 17 and simplifying entry procedures for Mainland visitors.

Hong Kong Tourist Association

Serving visitors in Hong Kong, the HKTA maintains Visitor Information and Services Centres located in The Center, Queen's Road Central, on Hong Kong Island and at the Star Ferry concourse in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. There are information counters at the Hong Kong International Airport and more than 140 'TouristInfo PowerPhones' in popular tourist areas throughout Hong Kong, by which visitors can easily obtain tourism-related information.

In 2000, these centres assisted about one million visitors. The HKTA also distributed over five million items of visitor literature, handled about 73 140 written, e-mail and telephone hotlines enquiries and sent information to thousands of fax- users through its Infofax service.

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