Don't take 'curtain-rise' of HK tours for 'curtain-fall'

Home>>Opinion

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, September 24, 2003

Don't take 'curtain-rise' of HK tours for 'curtain-fall'

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Only a little of more than one month was over when the measures taken for FIT Hong Kong tours have been practiced in a few Chinese inland cities a rare scene appeared in Hong Kong, which "thronged with swarms of people". As compared to the bleakness of the SARS virulent period a few months ago it strikes into people a feeling of "an earth-shaking change".

According to the latest statistics, the tourists to Hong Kong reached 1.64 million heads in last August, which was not only a bigger rise than the previous month but also an increase of nearly 10 percent over the same period that of last year.

No grumbles of "too many visitors without much earnings" were heard from the tour-business circle. Because only at the first phase of promotion for the "hospitality month" it has brought to Hong Kong an extra benefit of at least 200 million HK dollars, for which the tour-businessmen feel greatly pleased and sure there is no spare-time for them to air any grievance.

The speedy turning-round of the tour-business in Hong Kong has things to do with the "time and climate"- the withdrawal of the plague. The people in "lethargy" for too long a time are eager to step out for tours. But we should say it has much more to do with the "favorable geographical location" and "support of the people". Hong Kong and Macao close by the Chinese mainland have become the nearest, fastest and the most favored recipients of the "FIT tours" from the Chinese mainland. With the active reaction of all departments of the Hong Kong government and of all trades and people at all social stratums we've witnessed the "spring tides" of the tourism industry to surge high one after another.

Especially the preparedness of the Hong Kong government, namely in as early as last April when the SARS was still rampant it worked out the plan for the global promotion and when it was just under control the plan was set off at once, thereby effecting a very obvious effect. Though it has put in a considerable input yet the return is more inspiring. The world has got a clear view that the "Pearl of Orient" after the baptism has regained its great attractiveness, appealing to tourists from all over to come to Hong Kong for tours.

Though the influx tide also brought in some "silts and dirt". Some medium-and-low-grade hoteliers sensing the situation, a great flux of tourists from the Chinese inland, they spread out at first that the "hotel-supply couldn't meet the demands" and then raised the price. Some tourist agencies when unable to get in the tour payment in time shoved off the tour-groups and quite few even opened up some "illegal shops" to ruthlessly "exploit the clients" by using the desire of the inland tourists for shopping.

Though this is only a very tiny undercurrent it serves a hundred percent blow to the sufferers and moreover it has besmeared the fame of Hong Kong, thus entailing serious losses. The "one ten-thousands" injury will "put back" thousands upon thousands of tourists to Hong Kong, which is very difficult to make up by several times of endeavors or even scores of times of efforts. Therefore, when the tour tide was about to surge up or tourists have just began to influx into Hong Kong, warnings have been sounded in all walks of life, admonishing those not to be too eager for material gains and everything must be dealt with from a long-term point of view. In this way it is to ensure a high-quality service and to avoid the phenomenon of "pulling out turnips without getting them washed", in other words, tourists got cold-shouldered or cheated.

However, when departments and guilds concerned found out the unpleasing malpractice, they all reacted immediately by taking some measures to reduce the negative influence to the minimum. With a thorough spirit that among 100 tourists to Hong Kong it's won't do to have only 99 of them satisfied, a high quality standard of not to have one feel unsatisfactory. The Hong Kong Tourist Association put forward some 8 measures, such as quickening the "immigration procedure", a timely information of hotel supply and reimbursement within a time-span of 14 days and the telephone number for complaints to ensure that the rights of tourists won't be infringed.

In addition to the efforts made by the Hong Kong government organs, guilds for supervision and control it has also increased the scope and scale for all social stratums in Hong Kong to love Hong Kong by creating for it a good reputation and contributing more for a sustainable prosperous tourism in Hong Kong.

Recently, Jachie Chan, a famous internationally renowned movie-star as "Tourism ambassador" of Hong Kong said with feelings on a public occasion, I have been doing a lot for Hong Kong in the past but I've never got a penny into my pocket. On the contrary I have to spend my money for it. At difficult times everybody must do a little bit to help. Because if Hong Kong is in a good situation, I'm all right and everybody is all right but if Hong Kong is landed in a poor plight how can everybody be good? Only by making joint efforts of all people in Hong Kong and treat the tourists hospitably can tourism industry in Hong Kong be recovered in a time so short as possible. It is due to the pure cherishing that Jachie Chan spent his own "gold time" to shoot with no pay the films for the promotion of Hong Kong, attending all promotion activities so as to add much luster to Hong Kong by consuming his own energy.

In contrast to that Jachie Chan has done for Hong Kong, the miserly few doing something only for the interests of their own but a damage to Hong Kong seem to be too paltry. More and more citizens in Hong Kong now come to realize that ill-doings can only get in a little bit of selfish interests but these "black sheep" have to pay a spiritual debt for all their lives.

The "FIT tours" have just begun to unveil and Hong Kong tourism has just been recovered. It can be compared to a new stage performance, which has just seen its curtain-rise. At this critical juncture, what the broad masses of Hong Kong people should do is to hold up and overcome the mentality of "getting in profits as quick as possible" as cherished in the time of foam economy a few years ago. They are advised to do as Jachie Chan has done to dedicate all their efforts to do something good for the new performance of the "Hong Kong tours" so as to provide Hong Kong with a tomorrow of amelioration.

If they mistake "the beginning" as "the ending" by treating the "curtain-rise" as "curtain-fall" to "rake in so much as possible without minding the future" and thereby breaking up the brand of "Hong Kong tours", that will be a miserable and tragic end! By that time "fancy-goers are going away at the end of the opera" with bugle sounded the curtain-fall nobody can do anything good to "prop up the heaven", let alone one Jachie Chan.

By People's Daily Online (Trans by R. L. Han)

Questions?Comments? Click here

'DIY Tourists' Swarm to HK, Macao

HK launches global advertising campaign

US slandering China as narcotics producer is groundless ( 3 Messages)

China trains government spokespersons ( 2 Messages)

Foreigners see social graces and disgraces in China ( 8 Messages)

Chinese tourists' unsocial behavior sparks concern at home ( 7 Messages)

Chinese Premier calls for improvement of rural education ( 2 Messages)