Special measures to assist former pass holders or licensees to obtain tourist guide licence and tour escort licence
To alleviate shortage of manpower in the travel industry, TIA implements one-time special measures to assist former holders of passes or licences to obtain tourist guide licence and tour escort licence.
Qualifications
Those who would like to be granted licences through the special measures must meet the following qualifications:
- having held a tourist guide pass (foreign-language tourist guide pass included) or tour escort pass issued by the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, or having held a tourist guide licence (foreign-language tourist guide licence included) or tour escort licence;
- the pass or licence expired in the following period: 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2024;
- completing a special seminar on or before 31 August 2025; and
- applying for a licence or renewal of a licence within three months after attending the special seminar.
Note: If an application (including an application made under the special measures) is made not within 2 years after the expiry date of a licence (including a tourist guide licence, tourist guide licence (foreign languages) and tour escort licence), the application is regarded as a new application under section 41 of the Travel Industry Ordinance (Cap. 634).
Apart from the above qualifications, the relevant persons must comply with other relevant requirements, including:
- holding a valid certificate of competency in first aid, or another similar certificate, issued by an institution specified by TIA;
- completion of Hong Kong’s Form 5 education under the 5-year secondary academic structure or Senior Secondary 3 education under the New Senior Secondary academic structure (or equivalent); and
- being suitable to hold the licence.
Special seminar
The special seminar lasts for about one hour, and those having attended the seminar must take and pass a written examination. The examination consists of 20 multiple choice questions and must be completed within one hour. Those having got 14 or more questions correct will obtain a pass. The examination covers the duties of a tourist guides / tour escort, and the relevant requirements set out in the Travel Industry Ordinance, its subsidiary legislation and in Directives for Licensees.
The seminar is conducted in Cantonese or English, and the examination is in Chinese or English. Candidates may arrange their own translator or interpreter at their own cost and will be required to apply for permission for the arrangement in advance.
Those intending to attend the seminar is required to fill out an online form to provide contact and other information, and TIA will provide more details on the arrangement via email.
Enquiry
Enquiry may be made to the hotline at (852) 3698 5900 or enquiry@tia.org.hk.
