HK tour guides reject 'one guide, one tour'

1,000 tour guides based in Hong Kong protested late last week against an impending law that limits one guide to one tour.Tour guides marched from Charter Garden to the central government liaison office to express concern that the new law may prevent them from taking on extra work during the period where their main tours are on down time, reducing their monthly income by up to HK$10,000, The Standard reported.

Policy makers the Travel Industry Council (TIC), said the new system will take effect from 1 February 2011 as a measure to reduce the chances of tourists feeling forced to go shopped as well as improve guides services."If the directive takes effect, guides have to take care of tourists during a whole four days," Kong Tour Guides General Union chairman Wong Ka-ngai, said.

"So our guides can't take more tours... while their tourists are on independent activities."According to the source the travel council released 10 directives last month to regulate the industry.Tour guide Mr Yeung is concerned the new system will mean longer hours and less pay."In the first two days of the tour, I need to work for more than 30 hours to take my tourists to attractions, have lunch and go back to the hotel," he said.

"It would be impossible for me to work for two more days during the same tour.“I need to have rest."
TIC chairman Michael Wu Siu-ieng said the new policy was set and insisted the council had consulted the industry.

Source = etravelblackboardasia