Read More
The Travel Industry Authority (TIA) has suspended a jewelry and jade shop in Kowloon Bay from receiving inbound tour groups for 30 days after it failed to stop a tour guide from coercing mainland visitors into making purchases.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The authority suspended the shop’s registration under the Administrative Scheme for Registered Shops for Inbound Tour Groups, barring it from receiving any tour groups from August 26 to September 24.
The shop, located at Harbourside HQ on Lam Chak Street, is operated by Kaiser Jewellery International Limited.
According to the TIA, an investigation into an incident in February found that the shop did not prevent a tour guide from forcing mainland visitors to make purchases. Furthermore, the retailer failed to take reasonable measures to stop unauthorized personnel from promoting products inside the store.
Along with the 30-day suspension, the shop’s directors, managers, and all frontline staff are required to complete designated training courses within one month.
The authority stated it is strengthening enforcement and cross-border cooperation to curb illegal tour guide activities and coerced shopping.
As part of these ongoing efforts, TIA Executive Director Yeung Pa-wut led a delegation to Guangzhou on August 12 to meet with officials from the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau to discuss market supervision and the protection of travelers.
This disciplinary action follows joint operations carried out by the TIA and the Immigration Department in late July at tourist hotspots in Tsim Sha Tsui and the West Kowloon Cultural District. During those operations, two mainland women were arrested for illegally working as tour guides.
The TIA advised travelers to verify that their mainland tour operators are legally registered and to ensure their Hong Kong itineraries are arranged by licensed local agents.
The authority also urged anyone who experiences coercion or unfair treatment to contact the TIA directly or report the matter to the police.
Lawmaker calls for strict oversight to protect Hong Kong's tourism reputation
Lawmaker Nixie Lam Lam expressed shock over the incident, warning that negative experiences shared by tourists on social media or amplified by foreign media could seriously harm Hong Kong’s reputation.
She urged authorities to maintain strict oversight and advised retailers to refuse partnerships with non-compliant entities, noting that forced-shopping cases should be reported directly to regulators or the police.
Regarding the 30-day suspension, Lam stated that the penalty hits business revenue hard and serves as a strong deterrent, arguing it is much more effective than a simple fine.
She explained that fines can often be absorbed as standard operating costs, whereas a month-long shutdown, paired with a public record of violations, severely damages a vendor’s reputation and integrity.
Lam added that the goal of regulation is to promote healthy practices rather than simply punish businesses and suggested tougher penalties for repeat offenders, including permanent revocation of licenses to prevent them from continuing to operate.
