kevin sinclair's hong kong
A well-prepared tourist heads for Hong Kong. He's got his passport, credit cards and knows how to shout 'cheung yeah' (snatching!) when someone grabs his camera. But what's this? Thanks to a page on the Hong Kong police website, potential visitors can read about some of our more dubious delights, like prostitutes, and dangers, such as pickpockets and street tricksters.
In both English and Chinese, the site pulls few punches in its common-sense message. Even a destination justly known as one of the safest cities on Earth has hazards. The website, set up in January 2001, had two million hits in June.
I'd never heard of this until I blundered across it by accident. Inbound travel agents and hoteliers with whom I checked were likewise unaware of what could be a useful guiding hand for wary travellers.
Do other destinations have similar services? I hunted police and tourism sites in New York, London and Singapore. The Big Apple's police site is strong on information about terrorism alerts and has a special button to report sex crimes. But no aid for visitors. London has a similar fixation with terror over tourism. Singapore's official tourism site has no crime warnings and its police site just tells people how to report emergencies.
I came across the visitors' warnings when a friend coming on holiday wanted to find out about the police museum. The first page of the police site has a crime prevention message with a button to click for tourists.
The extremely cautious or former crime victims are most likely to read the warnings of pickpockets and touts. The site gives simple language tips, but I doubt the most studious of fearful visitors will remember how to shout 'gaau meng ah' (help!) if they run into trouble.
The most likely problem they will find, the site says, is deception by a rogue shopkeeper. If you've been fleeced, go to a police station.
Never go into a building with a copy watch tout. The same advice goes to the sexually adventurous - there have been recent cases in which call girls led eager customers into an ambush. When the client had his trousers around his ankles, a couple of burly gentlemen appeared and took his money.
The intrigued potential visitor is by now probably wondering what else Hong Kong holds in store. Specific cases where visitors have been targeted are described.
There's chapter and verse given of the slick street deceivers, particularly in the Chinese-language version. 'Change money?' is virtually an invitation that translates as 'Want to be robbed, stupid?' Other wiles are also detailed, particularly get-rich-quick offers from strangers on the streets and suggestions that tourist might like to play cards with strangers. Clutch your wallet and run!
Deputy Commissioner for Tourism Duncan Pescod says the site is part of a campaign on which they have been working with tourism organisations, police, customs and the Consumer Council. The Travel Industry Council has drawn up a list of approved shops that will hopefully steer people away from the scam artists who sell dodgy goods.
This is all well and good. It's an initiative to be applauded. A strong selling point for Hong Kong is that we are a safe and secure destination with a very low crime rate. But we do have villains and sharks. The Hong Kong Tourism Board should point out to travel agents worldwide that this site exists and advise them to tell customers who worry about coming here.
At least they will be able to bellow 'tau yeah' (stealing) if they are ripped off.
