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With a large number of tourists coming to Hong Kong to spend their Lunar New Year holidays, the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department is sparing no effort to ensure their safety by carrying out blitz operations in addition to regular surprise inspections to crack down on illegal guesthouses.
In a large-scale joint blitz operation with the Police, the OLA inspected licensed guesthouses and suspected unlicensed premises in Yau Tsim Mong District today (January 6). The OLA's Chief Officer, Mr Yu Tak-cheung, said similar targeted operations will continue.
Mr Yu said that, as in previous years, the OLA had planned and conducted special operations in tourist accommodation hotspots before the Christmas holidays. These included inspections during office hours and outside office hours such as at night and on holidays, decoy operations, and joint enforcement action with other government departments.
"The OLA has recruited people with working experience in the Police to assist in law enforcement. We will also expand the list of target buildings and increase the number of inspections and large-scale inter-departmental joint operations," he said.
"In addition, the OLA will proactively follow up on public reports of suspected unlicensed guesthouses and regularly examine newspapers and webpages to look for clues.
"We do not and will not tolerate any guesthouse licensee using the licensed premises to cover up illegal guesthouse operations (i.e. shadow guesthouses). Upon a licensee's conviction for the offence of operating an unlicensed guesthouse, the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Authority will consider cancelling all licences issued to the operator concerned."
Apart from carrying out stringent law enforcement, the OLA has also beefed up publicity. The OLA requires all licensed guesthouses to display a logo at the main entrance and on the doors of all guestrooms for easy identification by tourists.
During long holidays, the OLA steps up publicity on television and radio. Posters and banners are displayed at major immigration control points and in districts with suspected unlicensed guesthouses to appeal to tourists to patronise licensed accommodation. Tourists may also visit the OLA's website (www.hadla.gov.hk) to view the full list of licensed hotels and guesthouses.
"We work closely with the Tourism Commission and the Hong Kong Tourism Board to urge tourists to patronise licensed hotels and guesthouses as well as to convey related messages to the Mainland tourism authorities. The Consumer Council has also included the message of not patronising unlicensed guesthouses in the 'Shop Smart' website designed for Mainland visitors," Mr Yu said.
"The OLA will continue to adopt a two-pronged approach, strengthening law enforcement on the one hand and stepping up publicity and providing information on licensed accommodation on the other, to combat illegal guesthouses."
Ends/Friday, January 6, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:12
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