Xu Wangmeilun, chairman of the Tourism Industry Council, said that it is not yet known how to organize mainland tour groups under the customs clearance quota, and it will be announced after the industry discusses it.
Yao Pak-leung, a member of the Legislative Council of the tourism industry, hopes that the government can review the customs clearance quota as soon as possible.
The Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong issued a statement stating that the customs clearance has given the industry a boost and let the industry see the real dawn. The Council will maintain close contact with the industry to prepare for the restart of inbound and outbound tourism.
However, Xu Wangmeilun admitted that the industry has long been psychologically prepared. The initial customs clearance is orderly and limited. It is currently unknown how to organize a mainland tour group. It will report to the government the request for exempting the tour group from booking customs clearance, including referring to the "group entry and group exit" form.
Xu Wangmeilun also pointed out that although mainland tourists can come to Hong Kong by independent travel, travel agencies have always been less benefited by independent travel. As for whether independent travel packages will be launched, further research is needed.
She said that the current overall revenue of the tourism industry has recovered to more than 20% before the epidemic, and some travel agencies specializing in Japanese tour groups can recover to 30%, and it is estimated that it will take half a year to recover to 50% to 70% before the epidemic.
She estimates that customs clearance in the mainland will not bring much benefit to the tourism industry during the Lunar New Year period, and it is expected that it will gradually increase in the middle of next month.
Yao Boliang: Review the quota arrangement as soon as possible after one week of implementation
Yao Pak-liang, a member of the Legislative Council of the tourism industry, believes that the 120,000 round-trip quota in the first phase is about 20% of the number of customs clearance before the epidemic. There is a huge demand for visiting relatives in the countryside.
He also suggested that the government increase the number of tourist quotas in the next stage of customs clearance, and gradually relax group cross-border travel and independent travel.
Yao Pak-liang also suggested that the government provide the public with real-time information on the clearance time at each port through the online reservation system, so as to disperse the flow of people and reduce the waiting time.
The government should also organize tourism industry inspections as soon as possible to understand the operation of various gateways, so that the industry can understand the process of picking up and dropping off guests after the resumption of cross-border travel, and urge the government to set up a resumption fund to provide support for the tourism industry.
The HKTB has stepped up its promotion in the Mainland
Dr. Pang Yiu-ka, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, also welcomed the gradual customs clearance between Hong Kong and the Mainland, which is a key step for the tourism industry and related industries. The Tourism Board has gradually strengthened its promotion in the Mainland and around the world.
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