The Appeal Board of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC) met today (18 October) to deliberate an appeal case filed by a tourist guide whose Tourist Guide Pass had been immediately revoked by the Compliance Committee. The Appeal Board decided to suspend her Tourist Guide Pass for six months, after which any violation of the relevant rules will lead to revocation of her Pass, on the grounds that she deeply regretted what she had done and pledged not to violate the rules again even though she had seriously violated the Code of Conduct for Tourist Guides.

The tourist guide involved in the case had made discourteous and threatening remarks to the visitors on the tour coach for not spending enough on shopping in order to compel them to make purchases. In view of the seriousness of the case, the Compliance Committee unanimously decided to immediately revoke her Tourist Guide Pass at its meeting held on 4 September for having violated paragraphs 4(i), 4(ii), 6(i), 9(iii) and 9(iv) under the “Tourist guides’ professional ethics” section of the Code of Conduct for Tourist Guides.

The Appeal Board is composed of trade and non-trade members. Each of its meetings must have five members, three of whom must come from outside the trade, with the meeting chairman being a non-trade member.