Almost 1,500 Hong Kong tour guides may be without a licence for this year's busy summer season.
Around 2000 tour guide licences, which employees require to conduct tours, expire on June 30, Travel Industry Council executive director Joseph Tung Yao-chung (pictured) said. But only 500 of them have applied.
It is simple enough for tour guides to regain licences, which are valid for three years, by either attending at least 12 hours of related courses or successfully sitting an exam. Although many of Hong Kong's 6,000 tour guides are freelance and do not work full-time, they are in demand by travel agencies during the summer and other peak holiday periods as mainland and overseas tour groups flock to Hong Kong for sightseeing and shopping.
Despite being at the frontline of tourism, guides earn notoriously low basic wages and rely on tips to top up their income. To combat the potential shortfall, the council is trying to attract more people to the trade. From this week, university graduates can earn a licence after passing a written exam and a road test under new arrangements designed to boost the quality of tour guides and enhance their public image, Tung said.
The move comes as travel agents face more cuts to their income after Cathay Pacific slashed the commission it pays agents for selling its air tickets to 5 per cent from 7 per cent on March 1. From April 1, Air France and KLM will not pay any commission to local travel agents.
Tung said it was obvious airlines were moving towards zero commission, which might force travel agents to levy a service fee on customers. The council has voiced its dissatisfaction to 19 carriers about commission cuts over the past two years, Tung said. The global aviation industry is struggling to rebuild business amid the economic downturn.