Remarks by CE at media session before ExCo (with video)
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Reporter: Good morning, Mr Lee, some English questions. Firstly, with regard to the Golden Week holiday that has just passed, has the Government learned any lessons in handling the sort of scores of Mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong? And how would you respond to concerns by some residents over the city's carrying capacity for Mainland tourists with the large crowds and the apparent trend of low-budget spenders like those who are spending the night at McDonald's. And with regard to the closure of Alliance Medical Group, how would the Government decide to follow up with the Group's closure beyond establishing a dedicated team? Would the Government consider further consumer protections to safeguard consumers, such as preventing prepayments for some services or introducing cooling-off periods? Thank you.
Chief Executive: Regarding Golden Week, which just passed, I am very glad to say the number of visitors coming to Hong Kong has gone up drastically. It has created a very good atmosphere for Hong Kong, and also it has brought a lot of economic benefits to Hong Kong as well. It also vitalised our service industry. I am very thankful to all those who were involved in receiving and taking good care of tourists coming from both the Mainland and other parts of the world.
Hong Kong has to be a city to welcome tourists, and tourists include all kinds of tourists, because the image of Hong Kong as a city which welcomes tourists is very important. Anything, which we do to make any sector of tourists feel that they are not being welcomed, will be harmful to the overall image of Hong Kong as a tourist city. You can see every player in the industry, in the tourist hotspots. They have all made great efforts to try to welcome the tourists, even though they were all working very hard and they all had to do a lot of extra things to ensure that tourist interests were taken care of as much as possible.
Yes, there will be high-end travellers and there will also be non-high-end travellers, but we must look at tourism as a whole, so that every tourist will find the experience in Hong Kong is an enjoyable one - is a welcome one. We will be asking the CSTB (Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau) and related departments to sum up their experiences in this Golden Week and to work with the relevant industries to try to heighten the good feelings of travellers. At the same time, I think we should really gather information about the new travelling patterns of visitors, particularly those from the Mainland, because they represent a big chunk of tourists, to know about their new travelling patterns, their new needs and new routes, so that we can take good care of them. I think after knowing all these new demands, we can plan new routes and new supporting facilities to allow them to enjoy Hong Kong more. At the same time, we can add in some economic factors, so that they enjoy their trips, whether it is high-end or not high-end. At the same time, we can also try to develop economic benefits out of different types of travellers. We have to work together to ensure that Hong Kong is a city that welcomes all tourists.
Regarding a company which is suspected to be closed, which and offered prepaid vaccination services, the Government takes this matter seriously, and that is why we promptly established an inter-departmental task force last Friday (May 2), and they comprise representatives from the Security Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, and the Department of Health, as well as the Consumer Council.
I have three points to make. First, we should pursue their legal accountability and safeguard consumer rights. Both the Customs and the Police will launch investigations under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance and other criminal offences to hold the responsible people accountable. The Consumer Council will also exercise its authority to safeguard consumer rights. Second, we should provide feasible assistance to the affected individuals, so eligible children will be able to receive the remaining required vaccines free of charge under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme, while ineligible children may receive vaccinations at their own cost. The Department of Health has set up a hotline, an email and a WhatsApp to address enquiries and provide professional services and advice. Third, to review whether the current regulatory control is sufficient. Currently, the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance regulates the facilities and safety of healthcare services, while prepaid consumption is governed by contracts. The Government will examine whether the existing regulations are adequate, particularly for prepaid consumption, and consider various proposals, including the introduction of a statutory cooling-off period, limiting the maximum contract period, and addressing industry operational conditions. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau will complete the study as soon as possible and will submit a report. Thank you.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
Ends/Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Issued at HKT 13:30
Issued at HKT 13:30
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Audio / Video
CE meets the media