Agency, tour guide stripped of licenses for pressuring mainland tourists to spend

Hong Kong’s Travel Industry Authority has revoked the licenses of a travel agency and a tour guide after an investigation found they were involved in coercive shopping practices targeting mainland inbound tour groups.

The authority said it had earlier launched an investigation into four cases involving suspected forced shopping, in which inbound tour participants were allegedly pressured to make purchases during their trips.

The probe found that Star Link Travel Limited failed to ensure that tour participants were free from coercion while receiving mainland inbound groups between January and March this year.

Investigators also found that the tour guide involved, identified as Qu Hua, made inappropriate remarks to pressure tourists during coach journeys to shopping stops in March. The guide was also found to have threatened that those who did not make purchases would be required to pay back the difference in tour costs.

The authority said the conduct of both the agency and the guide effectively subjected tourists to coercive shopping arrangements, constituting a serious breach of licensing conditions and damaging the reputation of Hong Kong’s tourism industry.

It added that further investigations are ongoing and that additional disciplinary actions or prosecutions are not ruled out.

Reaffirming its stance, the authority stressed that breaches of licensing conditions constitute a criminal offense. Upon conviction, travel agents may face a fine of up to HK$100,000 and imprisonment for up to two years, while tour guides or escorts may be fined up to HK$50,000 and jailed for up to one year.

The authority said it maintains a zero-tolerance approach toward coercive shopping and any conduct that undermines the reputation of the city’s tourism sector.