Hong Kong tourism protesters threaten legal action over ‘unjustified’ guidelines
Demonstrators march from North Point to government headquarters, calling for resignation of new council chairman
Hong Kong tourism industry groups threatened to seek a judicial review to fight against the Travel Industry Council’s new guidelines, as three associations mobilised over 3,000 people to take to the streets on Tuesday to demand the resignation of newly elected council chairman Jason Wong Chun-tat.
The protesters called for the city’s regulater to “show goodwill” to the requests of the tourism industry. Otherwise, they said they would seek to initiate legal action as early as Wednesday.
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The protest was triggered by four fresh measures implemented by the council earlier this month to protect inbound tourists and restore the city’s reputation, including one tightening the rules for the refund protection scheme, under which shops found violating the law would have their registration revoked. Provisions for frequent checks at tourist attractions and heavy penalties also angered protesters.
“The unjustified guidelines made by industry bosses have caused great suffering among tourist guides, retail shop operators and other industry practitioners.” said Lam Siu-lun, honorary president of the Hong Kong Tourism Practitioners’ Union, one of the protest organisers.
“The tolerance of industry practitioners has reached a critical point today,” he said.
Lam, who was supposed to deliver a petition letter to the council before the march, instead burned it outside the Fortress Hill building where the council is housed, claiming protesters were not satisfied because its chairman failed to show up in person to receive the letter.
