Hong Kong jewellery shop slapped with 30-day tour group ban over coerced sales

Hong Kong's tourism authority has imposed a 30-day ban on Kaiser Jewellery International, preventing the luxury jeweler from hosting tour groups for the duration of the suspension. The Travel Industry Authority (TIA) cited the shop's failure to stop a guide from coercing mainland Chinese tourists into making purchases as the reason for the ban, which began on September 1 and will run until September 24.

TIA stated the zero-tolerance policy was in place to protect the reputation of Hong Kong's tourism industry. Kaiser Jewellery operates two locations, KJI Super Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui and Harbourside HQ in Kowloon Bay, both of which are either fully registered or suspended pending an appeal. The disciplinary action followed an investigation into a tour group from mainland China in February, which found the shop did not take sufficient steps to prevent the guide from pressuring visitors into making purchases.

Additionally, the company was ordered to complete training courses within a month, with its directors, managers, and frontline staff included in the mandatory training. The incident highlights ongoing concerns over ultra-low-priced Hong Kong tour packages that often rely on shopping commissions and paid add-on activities to generate revenue.

In recent months, the TIA has taken enforcement actions against coercive shopping and illegal tour guides, including revoking a guide's license for inappropriate remarks and arresting two mainland women for working as unauthorised guides. Authorities advised mainland visitors to verify tour operators' legal qualifications and ensure their itineraries are handled by licensed local travel agencies.