Self-policing Is Ineffective
劏客團死灰復燃 旅遊業自律失效
文章日期:2010年7月23日

雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】TRAVEL agents and tourist guides have resumed compelling mainland visitors to make purchases after a period of restraint. In the latest case, a death occurred. Former national table tennis player Chen Youming died of a heart attack. Some facts of the case (such as the illegal status of the tourist guide in question) show the situation is worse than it was.


英語

旅行團、導遊強迫內地旅客購物的做法,沉寂一段日子之後,死灰復燃,今次更是搞出人命,導致前國家隊乒乓球選手陳佑銘心臟病突發死亡。今次事態一些情節,例如事涉「黑工導遊」等,顯示情况較以往更加嚴重。


普通話

Under a rule of the travel industry, no tourist guide may take any visitors to a shop in which he has a stake or with which he does business. The rule is aimed at preventing conflicts of interest. However, we gather that a major shareholder in Win's Travel Agent owns the jeweller's where Chen Youming had a heart attack. The shareholder has opened three outlets. If visitors know that and they buy things in those places, they do so willingly. If they are in the dark and a guide takes them to those outlets, one may suspect he hoodwinks them. Clearly, a conflict of interest arises in such a situation, which is by no means fair to visitors. Therefore, the authorities should have the Travel Industry Council (TIC) require its members to inform their customers how they are connected with the outlets they are taken to and allow them choice.


英語

現在業界規定,導遊不能帶旅客到自己開設或有生意關係的商舖購物,目的是防止出現利益衝突,不過,陳佑銘出事的珠寶店,據知是由永盛旅遊大股東所開設。據知這位大股東共開設了3家商舖,團友若在知情下到其商舖購物,那是你情我願,若團友根本不知情,整個行程被安排到這3家商舖購物,團友就有被蒙在鼓裏之嫌,選擇權被剝奪。這個情况,明顯存在利益衝突,對於團友而言絕不公平。所以,當局應該要求旅遊業議會對旗下旅行社明確規定,一定要披露旅行社與商舖的關係,讓團友知情和有選擇權。


普通話

Apart from Chen Youming, the tourist guide in question is a principal of the "death from infuriation" case. It has been established that she is unlicensed. She held another's licence and passed herself off as the other. How is she connected with Win's? How is she connected with the woman to whom the licence belongs? These are questions to which not only the industry but also the police should find out the answers.


英語

今次「激死」事件的主角,除了陳佑銘,就是那位導遊。現已證實這位導遊原本無牌,她是持另一位導遊證件,冒充其身分帶團。這名冒牌導遊與永盛旅遊是什麼關係,與證件上的「真身」導遊又是什麼關係,不但業界關注,警方也應該查個究竟。


普通話

According to some in the industry, "illegal workers" have guided tours without a licence in the territory. They are paid less than licensed guides. Not bound by any licensing conditions, they may fleece visitors more ferociously to earn themselves and their employers more commission. Furthermore, illegal tourist guides are mostly mainlanders. They may just go home if anything happens. It is not easy for the TIC to look into complaints against them. For example, the tourist guide who allegedly enraged Chen, who subsequently died, is a mainlander. She is nowhere to be found. She has probably returned to the mainland.


英語

據業界人士透露,業內一直存在沒有持牌的「黑工導遊」,他們的薪金較持牌導遊低,又不受牌照規管,可以「更狠地」宰客,為本身和旅行社掙取更多佣金。還有一種情况,是這些「黑工導遊」,許多時都是內地人士,一旦出事,他們就可以返回內地,旅遊業議會要調查也有一定難度。正如這次被指「激死」陳佑銘的冒牌導遊,就是內地人,事發後已失蹤,猜測可能返回內地。


普通話

The incident shows again the TIC is an ineffective watchdog. It shows self-policing is not sufficient to ensure the healthy operation of the tourist industry, one of the major pillars of the economy. The TIC's website says at the outset the body was set up in 1978 to protect the interests of travel agents. What the unlicensed guide did in the case is not hard to ascertain. It is not hard for Win's to make an account of it. However, the TIC has asked Win's to submit a report to it in two weeks. It appears to outsiders that it has given Win's ample time so that it will have greater leeway. There is suspicion that the TIC hopes the passage of time will calm thing down. Furthermore, there is suspicion that it tries to protect its members as it refuses to reveal the subjects of the twenty-four complaints against Win's it has received since 2006.


英語

發生這件事後,再一次暴露旅遊業議會未能善盡監管功能,說明單靠自律,不可能讓本港重要經濟支柱之一的旅遊業健康地運作。其實,旅遊業議會在其網頁的自我介紹,開宗明義就說「香港旅遊業議會(議會)成立於1978年,以保障旅行社的利益為宗旨」,這次「激死」事件,關於那位導遊的情况並不複雜,永盛旅遊應該不難交代,但是旅遊業議會卻給兩周時間交報告,外界看來,這是議會以更多時間給永盛旅遊迴旋,有讓時間冲淡事態之嫌。另外,議會對永盛旅遊2006年迄今被投訴24宗的內容,不予透露,也有保護其成員之嫌。


普通話

It gives no cause of much criticism for the TIC, an organisation of the travel industry, to advance travel agents' interests. However, travel agents' interests do not coincide with visitors' interests or with Hong Kong's overall interests. We therefore do not think it adequate to rely solely on the ineffective TIC to police travel agents. Furthermore, that ill becomes the industry's importance to Hong Kong's economy.


英語

作為業內組織,議會為旅行社的利益服務,完全無可厚非,但是旅行社的利益,肯定與旅客的利益不一致,與香港整體利益也不盡相同。因此,單憑監管效益不彰的旅遊業議會,以自律為主的「管理」旅行社,我們認為絕不足夠,與其對香港經濟的重要性也不相稱。


普通話

In our view, the TIC must be drastically reorganised. At least the body (comprising totally of people in the industry) should no longer be allowed to deal with visitors' complaints or discipline travel agents. The government should consider having an independent body deal with such matters. Unscrupulous travel agents and shops against which many complaints have been made should be named. The authorities should join forces with the media to expose unscrupulous businesses. Only by taking this credible step can travel agents be deterred from fleecing their customers.


英語

我們認為,旅遊業議會必須大改組,起碼對旅客投訴,不能再由旅遊業界人士主導的旅遊業議會負責處理,政府應該委任業界外的獨立人士,處理投訴和懲處事宜,公布屢遭投訴的旅行社及商舖名字,匯聚媒體與制度的力量,使黑店現形,這樣的處理才有公信力,宰客歪風才可望遏止。


普通話

明報社評 2010.06.03

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

William Tsang

Senior Lecturer, Hong Kong Community College

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=eng&cms=112

袁振華博士

香港理工大學中文及雙語系講師

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