New Year travellers protected
Travel agents must give customers a fortnight's notice if they cancel package tours over the Lunar New Year.
Otherwise they might have to pay extra compensation.
The new measures follow passengers' complaints that some agents had not given them enough time to make alternative plans when holidays were cancelled last year.
An estimated 500,000 people are expected to go on package tours over the holiday next month.
Chairman of the Travel Industry Council Simon Hau Suk-kei said travel agents usually had to tell passengers about cancellations seven days before.
Now, if they do not give 14 days' notice over Lunar New Year - February 14 to 18 - they must refund the cost of the package and pay a penalty of three per cent of the total cost.
The seven days' notice still applies to the rest of the year.
From March 1, travel agents must clearly state the cost of service charges for tours.
The council said it had received an increasing number of complaints on the issue.
