Hong Kong – Co-ordination measures in relation to arrival of visitors to Hong Kong during Labour Day Holiday (with photos)

Co-ordination measures in relation to arrival of visitors to Hong Kong during Labour Day Holiday (with photos)

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     ​Following the first meeting held on April 3 to co-ordinate the preparation work for the arrival of visitors to Hong Kong during the Labour Day Holiday, the Tourism Commission convened another meeting on Monday (April 24) to follow up on the preparation work carried out by various departments. The meeting was hosted by the Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Vivian Sum, with representatives from government departments including the Customs and Excise Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department (ImmD), the Transport Department, various District Offices, etc, and various tourism-related organisations including the Travel Industry Authority (TIA), the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, major tourist attractions, hotel industry, etc, also attended. Relevant parties will continue to maintain close communication on the people flow during the Labour Day Holiday and co-ordinate different links for receiving visitors’ arrival to Hong Kong, a Government spokesman said today (April 26).
      
     During the Labour Day Holiday, relevant government departments will strengthen manpower and co-ordination of transport and cross-boundary services at various control points, including making arrangements for crowd management, increasing coach parking provision and transport frequency, etc. Ms Vivian Sum, joined by relevant government departments and the TIA, inspected the Heung Yuen Wai Control Point on April 18 to understand the current crowd management for Mainland inbound visitors and proposed enhancement measures to better utilise the space inside the station to disperse the crowd. The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by Customs, the Police Force, ImmD and other relevant departments will be activated during the Labour Day Holiday to monitor the situation at each land control point, as well as to maintain close liaison with Mainland counterparts and take contingency actions where necessary.
      
     Various District Offices will closely monitor the flow of visitors within their corresponding districts during the Labour Day Holiday and strengthen management of the relevant spots having regard to the actual circumstances. Various major tourist attractions will also put in place crowd control measures during the Labour Day Holiday.    
      
     The TIA has been reminding travel agents receiving relevant Mainland inbound tour groups to stagger arrival times as far as possible and urge travel agents, shops, restaurants, etc, receiving Mainland inbound tour groups to implement appropriate measures for the orderly management of visitors and coaches. To protect inbound tour group visitors’ rights, the TIA will deploy additional manpower during the Labour Day Holiday to conduct inspections in districts where relatively more registered shops for inbound tour groups are located, offer assistance to visitors and tourist guides, and step up enforcement. In addition, Customs will step up inspection of shops serving visitors so as to combat unfair trade practices such as coerced shopping. The TIA carried out inspection with Customs on registered shops for inbound tour groups on April 24. 
      
     The Tourism Commission has been maintaining liaison with the tourism authorities in Guangdong and Shenzhen and has been communicating with them on the arrival of Mainland visitors, and has provided the hotlines of the relevant local organisations to Mainland inbound group visitors via the tourism authorities in Guangdong and Shenzhen.
      
     To assist visitors in planning their trips, ImmD will upload the daily arrival figures (April 29 to May 4) of each control point to its website (www.immd.gov.hk) from April 30 to May 5. Information about figures of arrival and the flow of people of major tourist attractions will also be hyperlinked to the HKTB’s website (www.discoverhongkong.com) for visitors’ reference. In addition, visitors may check the estimated waiting time at each land boundary control point via the Immigration Mobile Application.
      
     During the Labour Day Holiday, in case of any emergency, Mainland inbound tour group visitors, tour escorts accompanying the tour groups and local tourist guides may seek assistance from the TIA by calling its service hotline 3698 5900 (operating from 9am to 11pm). For enquiries or complaints, visitors may call the HKTB’s hotline 2508 1234 (operating from 9am to 6pm) or the Consumer Council’s hotline 2929 2222 (operating from 9am to 5.30pm).
      
     “It is expected that cross-boundary passenger traffic from April 29 to May 3 will be much heavier than usual. To avoid congestion during the morning and evening peak hours at each land boundary control point, we appeal to Mainland visitors and local residents to cross the boundary during non-peak hours,” the spokesman said.

Hong Kong – Co-ordination Group on Resumption of Normal Travel convenes first meeting (with photos)

Co-ordination Group on Resumption of Normal Travel convenes first meeting (with photos)

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     The Co-ordination Group on Resumption of Normal Travel, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, convened the first meeting today (December 25) at the Central Government Offices to discuss a proposal for the progressive, orderly and comprehensive resumption of normal travel with the Mainland. The target is to reach a consensus on the proposal with the relevant Central Authorities, Guangdong Provincial Government and Shenzhen Municipal Government as early as practicable for submission to the Central Government for approval, with a view to resuming normal travel by mid-January next year.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, attended today’s meeting at its outset to explain to attending officials his guiding principles on achieving progressive, orderly and comprehensive normal travel. He said, “All sectors of society are eagerly looking forward to early resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland. I am grateful to colleagues for acting swiftly during the holidays to hold a meeting under the Co-ordination Group on Resumption of Normal Travel to discuss in detail the preparations on all fronts for resuming normal travel, so as to ensure a well-formulated proposal in place.” 

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, being the leader of the Co-ordination Group on Resumption of Normal Travel, then convened the meeting to discuss in detail and co-ordinate with attending officials the necessary preparations on such various fronts as boundary control points’ operation, transportation arrangements and risk management. He stressed, “We must race against time to prepare for resumption of normal travel, with a two-pronged approach adopted. We need to formulate a sound proposal on such resumption as soon as practicable. At the same time, we need to maintain close liaison with the relevant authorities at the Central level, as well as from the Guangdong Province and Shenzhen Municipality, and submit the proposal to the Central Government for approval after reaching a consensus with them. The target is to resume normal travel by mid-January next year, such that various types of cross-boundary activities between Hong Kong and the Mainland can regain momentum in a progressive and orderly manner.”

     On the requirements set out by Mr Chan during the meeting, all policy bureaux will sort out issues on resumption of normal travel under their respective purview, and make necessary planning, at full steam. The Co-ordination Group on Resumption of Normal Travel will meet in the days ahead to put forward as soon as practicable a well-formulated proposal on resumption of normal travel and gear up on all fronts involved.  

     Mr Lee returned to Hong Kong yesterday (December 24) after conducting his reporting of work to state leaders in Beijing, and announced that the Central Government has agreed to progressive, orderly and comprehensive resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland. In order to forge ahead with the work involved, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has set up the Co-ordination Group on Resumption of Normal Travel, which comprises members from all 15 policy bureaux and is led by the Chief Secretary for Administration.

Hong Kong – HAD Emergency Co-ordination Centre in operation

HAD Emergency Co-ordination Centre in operation

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Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:



Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:



     As the Landslip Warning has been issued, the Home Affairs Department’s Emergency Co-ordination Centre is now in operation.



     The Home Affairs Department will open temporary shelters for people in need of temporary accommodation.



     For details, please contact the centre on 2572 8427.