Local tours set to resume on condition

Local tours can resume next month at the earliest to revive the tourism industry, which has ground to a halt for more than a year amid the pandemic.

But this would come with three conditions: tourists must use the LeaveHomeSafe app when boarding the tour bus and entering restaurants and scenic spots; and sit on fixed seats on the tour bus; and guides and bus drivers must be tested negative for the coronavirus every 14 days, The Standard's sister publication Sing Tao Daily reported.

If the Covid-19 situation remains stable, the tourism sector expects to relaunch local tours early next month, as border reopening and travel bubbles are not likely to happen yet.

The Tourism Board introduced a HK$5 million Free Tour Program last November to sponsor 50 tour agencies for HK$500 for each tourist, as well as offering free local tours for citizens who spent more than HK$800 at local retail stores.

But it was suspended a month later following the fourth wave of Covid-19.

Sources said the government is considering exempting local tours from the social gathering cap and reviving the Free Tour program.

Another plan is to extend the HK$100 million Green Lifestyle Local Tour Incentive Scheme, which subsidizes each guest on a local green tour for HK$200.

Sources said only 10 to 20 percent of the scheme's fund has been used. Previous requirements of each tour group was capped at 30 guests, not more than half of the capacity of tour buses or cruises.

Wearing masks all the time when not eating and checking temperature will remain unchanged.

The travel industry expects the requirement of using the LeaveHomeSafe app would not deter guests. Tourism sector lawmaker Yiu Si-wing said the guests need to register their personal information when enrolling for tours, for insurance purposes.

He said the itinerary of tours has been set and kept on record.

"Basically they have already submitted personal data to us. They should not feel as reluctant to use LeaveHomeSafe. It will only make the public have more confidence in joining local tours," he said.

The chairman of the Travel Industry Council, Jason Wong Chun-tat, said those who do not know or do not wish to use the app can choose to jot down their personal information, which guests can easily accept.

"Only the requirement to scan QR codes on tour buses and cruises is new," he said. "Scanning the codes at restaurants and tourist spots would have already been launched by that time."

The executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, Timothy Chui Ting-pong, said the tour bus sector supports using the LeaveHomeSafe app. "Although there aren't any cases in local tours yet, if an unfortunate event happens, the app is a quicker channel to notify guests," he said.

He said tour bus companies will display QR codes on their coaches, adding it is an easy job to arrange fixed seating for tourists.

Chui said tour guides and bus drivers can pay HK$240 to be checked at community test centers.

They can also use the free test services by taking deep-throat saliva sampling kits from public clinics, post offices and MTR stations. Paid tests at recognized private labs will also be accepted.