Council sets up code of conduct for study tour operators

The arrival of more travel agencies in the educational tour market has spurred the Travel Industry Council to introduce a code of business practice on study tours for its 1,450-plus travel agency members.

The code's main purpose was to ensure young people would be well taken care of on tours and enhance transparency, said Joseph Tung Yao-chung, the council's executive director, which promotes standards and professionalism among travel agents and protects the interests of the trade and the public.

The code, which applies to study tours where the major target participants are under the age of 18, comes into force on June 1.

The Hong Kong Consumer Council welcomed the move as a way to enhance consumer rights. Deputy chief executive Connie Lau Yin-hing said: 'This is a great advance. We look forward to better operation of study tours to make sure children achieve their aims.'

Membership of the council is a licensing requirement for travel agents, who must comply with its codes of conduct and directives. The code requires members to:

Register study tours with the council in a similar way to ordinary package tours and provide documentation specifying organisations involved, schools at the destination, venues, study tour schedules, etc.

Provide comprehensive and accurate information for tour participants, parents and tour organisers; and not vary arrangements from stated itineraries. If any alterations need to be made before departure, the council and participants' representatives must be immediately notified of any changes.