The central government has initiated a string of measures to tackle unruly tourists “uncivilised” behaviour as well as disputes between tourists and tour guides, the China National Tourism Administration’s (CNTA) Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Tourism Affairs Department Director Liu Kezhi said Tuesday.
Liu made the remarks at Government Headquarters on the sidelines of a signing ceremony of a co-operation agreement between the local and central governments to set up a joint committee on turning Macau into a world tourism and leisure centre. Liu said he believed that any misunderstandings between visitors and local guides can be resolved.
Liu also said the mainland authorities’ measures to deal with unruly mainland tourists included the blacklisting of those caught for “uncivilised” behaviour when travelling abroad and the punishment of travel agencies engaged in dubious business practices.
Many disputes in Macau between mainland tourists and local tour guides involve the notorious “zero-fee tours”, where travel agencies in the mainland lure travellers to join tours then pass them on to local tour operators once they arrive in Macau who take them from one shop to the other to earn commissions.
Meanwhile, the government and the central government officially formed a joint committee to turn Macau into a world tourism and leisure centre. The committee’s functions include policy research and fostering further co-operation in the area of tourism between Macau and the mainland.
Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), said the committee’s work would also include attracting more foreign visitors (i.e. visitors from outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan) to the city, while Liu said he hoped the government will continue its close co-operation with the mainland to make Macau an important part of the central government’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative.(macaunews/macaupost)
