Speech on 7 amendments to motion

Speech on 7 amendments to motion

 

MR YIU SI-WING (in Cantonese): President, first of all, I would like to thank the seven Members who have proposed amendments to my original motion. My purpose in moving the motion is to elicit valuable ideas and draw on collective wisdom. I hope that the authorities can seriously listen to Members' views and alleviate the current predicament of the tourism industry.

Mrs Regina IP's amendment proposes setting up a Policy Bureau dedicated to promoting tourism, that is, setting up a Tourism Bureau. This is in line with the tourism sector's objective. Yet I am concerned that it may not be possible to set up a Tourism Bureau in the short term. That is why I have suggested that the Government should start off by establishing an inter-departmental coordination committee to tackle the existing development problems first. So I will support Mrs Regina IP's amendment.

Mr WU Chi-wai's amendment proposes strictly adhering to the Revised Concept Plan for Lantau released in 2007. I do not agree to this proposal. As the Lantau Development Advisory Committee has updated the overall plan, we should not take the retrograde step of going back to the original plan, which is out of date. Moreover, Mr WU has suggested in his speech that we should amend the relevant legislation to support the sharing economy, alluding to the business model of Airbnb. This model is simply out of keeping with the actual situation in Hong Kong, because it can easily cause many safety and nuisance problems in our densely populated city and is unfair to operators of licensed guesthouses and hotels, not to mention that it is illegal. So I will oppose Mr WU's amendment.

Mr Jeffrey LAM's amendment adds in a number of specific proposals on the basis of the original motion, including developing the high-end convention, exhibition and aviation industries. In fact, there is no conflict between fortifying the traditional tourism industry and giving full play to the edges of local tourism resources, and these two elements can complement each other. So I will support Mr LAM's amendment.

Dr KWOK Ka-ki, in his amendment, blames certain social problems on the policy on Individual Visit Scheme ("IVS"), and the wording of his amendment gives the impression that IVS is the key factor that has intensified the conflicts between the Mainland and Hong Kong. In my view, the nuisances in question are isolated cases occurring in certain districts. We cannot deny the contribution of IVS to the Hong Kong economy as a whole. So I will oppose Dr KWOK's amendment.

Mr Michael TIEN proposes developing world-class and sustainable tourist attractions, and, in particular, developing the motorsport industry. At present, some of our tourist attractions are indeed showing signs of ageing, and this should be reviewed. If we can create a world-class attractive landmark―be it a major tourist attraction or a mega event―and use it as an iconic project for our tourism industry to make up for its current lack of attractiveness, this is of course a good thing. So I will support Mr TIEN's amendment.

Mr Holden CHOW, in his amendment, proposes establishing a "cultural transmission and development fund". In many places, to ensure the passing on of traditional craftsmanship, local governments will offer subsidies to traditional craftsmen. I agree that the Government can allocate more resources to this area, and use the tourism industry as the starting point to promote, protect and transmit local culture. So I will support Mr CHOW's amendment.

Mr LUK Chung-hung's amendment proposes specifying expressly the employment relationship between travel agencies and tour guides as well as tour escorts. This proposal will be embodied in the Travel Industry Bill, and will serve to protect the interests of both travel agencies and their employees. This is not in conflict with the development of the tourism industry. So I will support Mr LUK's amendment.

I so submit. Thank you, President.

Share