Local travel agencies have been urged to reschedule the departure times for short-haul trips that fall on the Legislative Council’s election day on December 7, as part of the efforts by the tourism sector to help boost voter turnout.
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But the Travel Industry Council on Tuesday also said it was not encouraging members to provide discounts for customers who voted, after reports suggested that some travel agencies were mulling giving sweeteners to help boost turnout.
Businesses are offering half-day paid leave, transport subsidies and flexible working hours to make it easier for residents to cast their ballots.
Travel Industry Council chairman Tommy Tam Kwong-shun said that the organisation had issued a memo, which was seen by the Post, calling for the sector to take part in the election and encourage their customers to do so as well when planning their outbound itineraries.
“The election is closely intertwined with the interests of every resident and all sectors, and hence we all should exercise our civic rights and fulfil our civil responsibility to vote actively,” the memo said.
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Tam suggested tour groups that typically started early in the morning, mostly short-haul tours to Guangdong or the rest of the Greater Bay Area, could delay their departure times slightly to allow customers to vote in the morning when polls opened at 8.30am.