A Hong Kong tourism leader has warned mainland tour operators not to bring visitors to the territory at below cost price and then let dishonest shops cheat them.
Ronnie Yuen Ka-chai, chairman of the Travel Industry Council, told a group of tourism delegates from Sichuan that he would ask the national tourism administration to take disciplinary action if necessary.
Mr Yuen said many mainland tour operators, especially those from Sichuan and provinces in northeast China, attracted customers by offering unreasonably low prices. They then handed these visitors over to Hong Kong inbound tour companies without paying enough to cover the costs.
'They know that the only way these inbound tour companies can make money is to cheat customers and force them to buy things,' he said. 'I will punish any Hong Kong inbound operators caught cheating tourists, but the mainland companies should also shoulder the blame.'
Hong Kong's tourism industry has been hit by a series of incidents in which mainland visitors complained they had been cheated by tour guides who took them to 'rip-off' shops.
Mr Yuen also told the Sichuan delegates to improve road safety. 'Sichuan has many beautiful spots. But . . . we can't afford another tragedy like last year,' he said.
