Schools struggle to get study tour refunds

The Travel Industry Council received 34 complaints totaling HK$10 million about study tours that were affected by the pandemic, involving 1,686 students and teachers from 26 schools.

The coronavirus outbreak has forced the cancellations of overseas study tours as well as those to the mainland.

In a written reply to lawmakers yesterday, secretary for education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said the council received 34 complaints about study tours since February, involving students, parents and staff from seven secondary schools, 17 primary schools, a kindergarten and a special needs school.

Most complaints were about refund arrangements, Yeung said, including complaints about travel agencies' refusal to provide insurance companies with documentary proof that there had been no refund when the schools asked for insurance compensation.

About a third of the complaints have been settled and involve cases where the schools and travel agents had settled on refund arrangements, or where part of the school's losses have been compensated by insurance companies.

For the remaining 22 cases being processed, six cases are being followed up by the council's Executive Office, thirteen are scheduled for deliberation by the watchdog's consumer relations committee, while travel agents have appealed against the ruling in another three cases.

"The Education Bureau provided some schools with appropriate support, such as a one-off support measure where schools can use bureau grants to pay for expenses incurred by the cancellation of activities," Yeung wrote.

Conventions and exhibitions have also been hit hard by the pandemic, with 364 conventions and exhibitions forced to cancel or postpone.

This includes 170 conventions and 68 exhibitions at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, and 80 conventions and 46 exhibitions at the AsiaWorld-Expo, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau told lawmakers in another written reply yesterday.

A total of 10 exhibitions were scheduled this month at the HKCEC, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah wrote, with most having to cancel or postpone.

To support the industry, the government has established a HK$1.02 billion convention and exhibition industry subsidy scheme under the anti-epidemic fund, which has been extended to December 31 next year.

The aid consists of subsidizing international exhibition and convention organizers the full venue rental and paying exhibitors of Trade Development Council shows half of their participation fees.

moon.lam@singtaonewscorp.com