Travel and Tourism I 295
Easier Entry for Visitors
Hong Kong is one of the world's most immigration-friendly cities. Travellers from some 170 countries and territories enjoy visa-free access to the city for stays of between seven and 180 days.
The Individual Visit Scheme (IVS), introduced by the Mainland in 2003, permitting citizens of 49 Mainland cities to visit Hong Kong on their own instead of in groups, is becoming increasingly popular. More than nine million Mainlanders. visited Hong Kong under it in 2008, representing 57 per cent of all Mainland arrivals.
One new arrangement for group tours was introduced this year while two for IVS were announced to enable more Mainland residents to visit Hong Kong.
The new measure already introduced permits Mainland-approved Hong Kong tour operators to organise group visits to Hong Kong for non-permanent Shenzhen citizens who have resided in the city for one year or more and have proper jobs there. The first such tour was conducted on December 22.
Of the two measures announced, one allows Shenzhen residents to make multiple visits to Hong Kong during a one-year period with a single IVS endorsement. The other permits non-Guangdong residents living in Shenzhen to apply for IVS endorsements in Shenzhen to visit Hong Kong instead of requiring them to return to their cities of origin to do so.
Protection of Travellers
Travel agents have to follow a licensing regime prescribed by the Travel Agents Ordinance. The Registrar of Travel Agents issues licences to bona fide travel agents. In addition, the Travel Industry Council (TIC) enforces codes of conduct for travel agents and issues directives to ensure they observe proper practices. It also handles complaints against member travel agents and disciplines those who break the rules. There were 1 480 licensed travel agents at year's end.
A Travel Industry Compensation Fund (TICF) provides ex gratia payments of up to 90 per cent of the loss of tour fares to outbound travellers in the event of a default by a travel agent. There were three such cases during the year which affected some 110 travellers to whom ex gratia payments amounting to about $221,000 were paid.
The fund also provides emergency financial assistance to outbound travellers injured, or killed, in accidents in the course of an activity arranged, or organised, by a Hong Kong travel agent. There were two such accidents in 2008.
Travel agents are allowed to assign only registered tour guides to receive visitors. At year's end, there were 6 360 registered guides in Hong Kong.
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