Big boost to tourism

Hong Kong's fledging cruise tourism is set to get a big boost from the China National Tourism Administration's (CNTA) latest move to relax rules on mainland cruise travelers.

Under the new rules issued by the CNTA on Thursday, mainland tourists traveling to Taiwan as part of package tours from Hong Kong will be allowed to continue traveling to Japan or the Republic of Korea on the same passenger ship they take to Taiwan.

The move will definitely make cruises via Hong Kong more attractive for mainland tourists. With a surge in cruise passengers, as anticipated by many players in the tourism industry, more cruise ships are expected to stop over in Hong Kong or even make Hong Kong their homeport.

The mainland's rising middle class with strong spending power has become a darling of many tourism destination markets globally. The Hong Kong economy itself has benefited tremendously from the influx of mainland visitors since the implementation of the Individual Visit Scheme in 2003.

However, with the influx of visitors in recent years, the problems of insufficient tourist facilities - particularly hotels - and increasing incidents of substandard or even poor quality services provided by some unscrupulous travel agencies or tour guides have plagued the industry, threatening its sustainable development.

In the latest incident, a group of mainland tourists who struggled with hunger and weariness at dawn on Wednesday at the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui after they were stranded by Typhoon Utor and abandoned by their tour guide, complained bitterly about being left high and dry, and swore that they will never visit Hong Kong again.

While not all visitor complaints are valid all the time, it is unarguable that incidents of substandard or poor quality services are on the rise in the industry, which will damage the city's reputation as a desirable tourist destination.

Now with the new supportive policy from the CNTA and the opening of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on June 12, Hong Kong stands a better chance of realizing its dream of developing into a leading regional cruise hub. Whether it succeeds in that aim depends very much on the will and ability of the industry players to do a better job.

The author is a current affairs commentator.

(HK Edition 08/17/2013 page6)