A cross-border row over thousands of tourist dollars was being fought last night following fresh revelations of mainlanders being dumped on arrival.
The Tsim Sha Tsui tour company responsible for two tour groups left stranded for hours at the China Ferry Terminal said it was owed more than $180,000 by mainland travel agents for tours held last year.
Joy Luck International Travel manager Yung Lai-ting said she had warned a Shenzhen company in December that unless the money was paid, Lunar New Year tour groups would not be accepted.
She said the money did not arrive, but hundreds of tourists were sent anyway.
On Thursday, 19 adults and three children from Sichuan province arrived for a six-day tour but were stuck at the ferry terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui for four hours because their tour guide did not show up.
The previous day, more than 200 visitors from Guangdong spent up to nine hours at the ferry terminal because there was no guide to meet them.
Key industry players said the situation was embarrassing at a time when the SAR was trying to attract visitors.