Mainland, HK Ink Tourist Deal

The Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have signed five deals on tourism industry administration.

 

The two sides signed the papers at a meeting attended by Shao Qiwei, head of the National Tourism Administration, and Rita Lau, Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.

 

The two sides agreed to boost communication and cooperation between the administrative organs.

 

The meeting was held after conflicts between mainland tourists and tour guides in Hong Kong, in which some mainland tourists complained about "forced shopping."

 

Companies offering cheap tour packages sometimes hike profits by taking tourists to shops which return a percentage of the sales revenue back to the tourism agency.

 

Shao called such practices unfair and Lau said that Hong Kong was considering using regulation to improve tour guides' conduct.