Hong Kong Steps Up Enforcement Against Tourist-Related Unfair Practices Ahead of Labour Day Golden Week

Apr 25, 2026, 04:58

Introduction

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law, has announced a series of stronger enforcement measures targeting forced shopping, illegal taxi overcharging, and other unfair trade practices aimed at mainland Chinese visitors during the upcoming Labour Day golden week. The Immigration Department expects about 980,000 mainland arrivals between May 1 and 5, which is a 7% increase compared to the same period last year.

Main Body

Speaking on a radio programme on Saturday, Law stated the government’s commitment to solving long-term problems that have hurt the city’s tourism reputation. She noted that the previous system of self-regulation by the industry has been replaced by the Travel Industry Authority (TIA), which has already carried out public inspections and taken away the licenses of some travel agencies and tour guides. Law emphasized that there would be zero tolerance for bad behavior, especially as Hong Kong tries to rebuild its tourism image after the pandemic. She said that the travel industry is an important part of the local economy, providing stable income and jobs, and that no one would be allowed to take advantage of the current recovery for illegal profit. Enforcement operations will focus on known problem areas, including the airport, border checkpoints, and nightlife spots such as Lan Kwai Fong. The Customs and Excise Department and the TIA have already conducted joint inspections targeting deceptive practices like changing price tags and giving incorrect change at shops. Law indicated that the TIA would increase patrols during the holiday period to prevent forced shopping, unlicensed tour guides, and other illegal business activities. In addition, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will patrol popular countryside tourism sites to manage crowds and reduce environmental damage. Law warned people in the tourism industry not to take advantage of the large number of visitors. She pointed out that many people use mobile phones and social media, so any bad behavior is very likely to be recorded and reported. She stated that once authorities learn about such incidents, they will take action. She encouraged tourists who believe they were forced to shop to file complaints with the TIA, promising that each complaint would be taken seriously. Law urged everyone in the industry to protect Hong Kong’s tourism reputation and not to take any shortcuts, saying that the current rules mean no one can get away with wrongdoing.

Conclusion

The Hong Kong government is carrying out a complete enforcement plan ahead of the Labour Day golden week. This plan includes focused patrols, joint inspections, and measures to hold people responsible, all aimed at protecting visitors’ rights and rebuilding trust in the city’s tourism sector. The success of these efforts will depend on continued watchfulness by authorities and cooperation from both industry members and tourists.

Vocabulary Learning

deceptive (adj.)
intended to make someone believe something that is not true欺騙性的；誤導的
Example:The authorities targeted deceptive practices like changing price tags.
enforcement (n.)
the act of making people obey a rule or law執行；強制執行
Example:The government announced stronger enforcement measures against unfair practices.
overcharging (n.)
charging too much money for something收費過高；濫收費用
Example:Illegal taxi overcharging is a common complaint from tourists.
patrols (n.)
the act of walking or driving around an area to check for problems巡邏；巡查
Example:The TIA will increase patrols during the holiday period.
reputation (n.)
the opinion that people have about someone or something based on past behavior聲譽；名聲
Example:Bad behavior can damage Hong Kong's tourism reputation.

Sentence Learning

She noted that the previous system of self-regulation by the industry has been replaced by the Travel Industry Authority (TIA), which has already carried out public inspections and taken away the licenses of some travel agencies and tour guides.
Passive Voice and Relative Clause. The passive voice 'has been replaced' shifts focus from who replaced the system to the action and the new authority. The relative clause 'which has already carried out...' adds extra information about the TIA without starting a new sentence.被動語態 和 關係從句。被動語態 'has been replaced' 將焦點從誰取代了系統轉移到行動及新機構上。關係從句 'which has already carried out...' 在不另起新句的情況下補充關於TIA的額外資訊。
The Immigration Department expects about 980,000 mainland arrivals between May 1 and 5, which is a 7% increase compared to the same period last year.
Relative Clause. The relative clause 'which is a 7% increase' provides additional information about the number of arrivals, linking the data to a comparison with the previous year.關係從句。關係從句 'which is a 7% increase' 提供關於入境人數的額外資訊，將數據與去年作比較。
She pointed out that many people use mobile phones and social media, so any bad behavior is very likely to be recorded and reported.
Linking Word and Passive Voice. The linking word 'so' shows a result or consequence: because people use phones, bad behavior can be recorded. The passive infinitive 'to be recorded and reported' emphasizes the action happening to the behavior.連接詞 和 被動語態。連接詞 'so' 表示結果或後果：因為人們使用手機，不良行為可能被記錄。被動不定式 'to be recorded and reported' 強調行為被記錄和舉報。
She encouraged tourists who believe they were forced to shop to file complaints with the TIA, promising that each complaint would be taken seriously.
Relative Clause and Passive Voice. The relative clause 'who believe they were forced to shop' identifies which tourists are being addressed. The passive voice 'would be taken seriously' emphasizes that the complaints will receive attention, without specifying who will take them.關係從句 和 被動語態。關係從句 'who believe they were forced to shop' 識別出被鼓勵的遊客。被動語態 'would be taken seriously' 強調投訴會得到認真處理，而不指明由誰處理。
Law emphasized that there would be zero tolerance for bad behavior, especially as Hong Kong tries to rebuild its tourism image after the pandemic.
Linking Word (cause/reason). The linking word 'as' here means 'because' or 'since', providing the reason for the zero tolerance policy. It connects the action (emphasizing zero tolerance) to the context of rebuilding tourism image.連接詞（原因）。連接詞 'as' 在此解作 '因為' 或 '由於'，為零容忍政策提供原因。它將行動（強調零容忍）與重建旅遊形象的背景聯繫起來。