CSTB convenes meeting to co-ordinate measures in relation to arrival of visitors to Hong Kong during National Day Golden Week (with photos)
Following the first meeting held on August 21 to co-ordinate the preparation work for the arrival of visitors to Hong Kong during the National Day Golden Week, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau convened another meeting today (September 20) to follow up on the preparation work carried out by various departments. The meeting was hosted by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, with representatives from government departments including the Hong Kong Customs, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department (ImmD), the Transport Department, various District Offices, etc, and various tourism-related organisations including the Travel Industry Authority (TIA), the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, major tourist attractions, hotel industry, etc, also attended. Relevant parties will continue to maintain close communication on the people flow during the National Day Golden Week and co-ordinate different links for receiving visitors' arrival to Hong Kong, a Government spokesman said today (September 20).
Mr Yeung said, "The Government will closely monitor the situation of visitor arrivals during the National Day Golden Week, and will strengthen co-ordination according to the actual situation. Various government departments and relevant organisations will also proactively co-operate and provide assistance. With the National Day Golden Week overlapping with the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, there are major events appealing to the public and visitors to be held in various spots in Hong Kong, including the National Day Fireworks Display, Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and the Urban Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival. Relevant government departments and the trade will enhance crowd management work to ensure the quality of tourists' experience."
During the National Day Golden Week, relevant government departments will strengthen manpower and co-ordination of transport and cross-boundary services at various control points, including making arrangements for crowd management, increasing coach parking provision and transport frequency, etc. The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by Customs, the Police Force, the ImmD and other departments will be activated during the National Day Golden Week to monitor the situation at each land control point, as well as to maintain close liaison with Mainland counterparts and take contingency actions where necessary.
Various District Offices will closely monitor the flow of visitors within their corresponding districts during the National Day Golden Week and strengthen management of the relevant spots having regard to the actual circumstances. Various major tourist attractions will also put in place crowd control measures during the National Day Golden Week.
The TIA has been reminding travel agents receiving relevant Mainland inbound tour groups to stagger arrival times as far as possible and urge travel agents, shops, restaurants, etc, receiving Mainland inbound tour groups to implement appropriate measures for the orderly management of visitors and coaches. To protect inbound tour group visitors' rights, the TIA will deploy additional manpower during the National Day Golden Week to conduct inspections in districts where relatively more registered shops for inbound tour groups are located, offer assistance to visitors and tourist guides, and step up enforcement. In addition, Customs will step up inspection of shops serving visitors so as to combat unfair trade practices such as coerced shopping.
The Tourism Commission has been maintaining liaison with the Mainland tourism authorities and has been communicating with them on the arrival of Mainland visitors, and has provided the hotlines of the relevant local organisations to Mainland inbound group visitors via the Mainland tourism authorities.
At present, the ImmD will upload the daily arrival figures of each control point to its website (www.immd.gov.hk). In addition, visitors may check the estimated waiting time at each land boundary control point via the Immigration Mobile Application.
During the National Day Golden Week, in case of any emergency, Mainland inbound tour group visitors, tour escorts accompanying the tour groups and local tourist guides may seek assistance from the TIA by calling its service hotline 3698 5900 (operating from 9am to 9pm). For enquiries or complaints, visitors may call the HKTB's hotline 2508 1234 (operating from 9am to 9pm) or the Consumer Council's hotline 2929 2222 (operating from 9am to 5.30pm).
