Question :
How does the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau monitor the expenditure of the Travel Agents Registry for each financial year to ensure its proper use and cost-effectiveness? If this has been done, would the Administration provide the monitoring and assessment reports of the past three years from 2007-08 to 2009-10? If not, would the Administration make the assessment at once and submit a report to the Legislative Council as soon as possible?
Asked by : Hon. TSE Wai-chun, Paul
Reply :
The Travel Agents Registry (the Registry) is set up under the Tourism Commission of the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, with the Commissioner for Tourism overseeing its daily operation.
The Registry also submits annual performance reports to the Advisory Committee on Travel Agents (the Committee), which set out, inter alia, the standards achieved in its various service areas. The Committee, comprising members from various sectors, professionals and travel agents, is a statutory advisory body established under the Travel Agents Ordinance (Cap. 218) to advise the Chief Executive on matters relating to the administration of the Ordinance.
CONTROLLING OFFICER’S REPLY TO
INITIAL WRITTEN QUESTION
CEDB(CIT)111
Question Serial No.
0887
Head :
152- Government Secretariat: Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (Commerce, Industry and Tourism Branch)
Subhead (No. & title) :
Programme :
(6) : Travel and Tourism
Controlling Officer :
Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce, Industry and Tourism)
Director of Bureau :
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
Question :
Similar to issues of building management which are difficult to be handled by a single department in a holistic manner, tourism-related responsibilities in the government are also distributed among different departments.
In the new financial year (i.e. 2010-11), has the Government allocated any provision or planned to engage any consultancy to study the feasibility of consolidating the various tourism-related departments so as to achieve savings and improve administrative efficiency? If yes, how much provision has been reserved and what are the relevant steps of study; if not, will immediate action be taken to look into the matter?
Asked by : Hon. TSE Wai-chun, Paul
Reply :
Under the existing government structure, tourism policy falls under the policy portfolio of the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development. The Tourism Commission (TC), headed by the Commissioner for Tourism, is tasked to take charge of tourism policy. If a tourism subject matter involves other policy bureaux or departments, the TC will co-operate and work closely with the relevant bureaux or departments. The Policy Secretary and Permanent Secretary would also help resolve any problems. In 2010-11, the government has no plans to engage any consultancy to change the above structure and has not made any provisions for this purpose.
Many policy areas are in fact related to tourism, e.g. air and sea transport and immigration policies etc. It may not be the most effective set-up to have one policy bureau or department to handle all these subjects. We believe various tourism-related matters can be handled effectively under the current structure and we have no plans at present to change this arrangement.