From the SCMP…
A group of mainland Chinese tourists was suspected to have suffered food poisoning after developing diarrhoea and vomiting in Hong Kong, with a dozen ambulances called to take them to hospitals on Tuesday.
…Photos posted online showed a middle-aged man throwing up in the street and another tourist sitting on a bus while holding a plastic bag.
The Travel Industry Authority said the tourists were among 63 mainland visitors belonging to two tour groups managed by the same agent.
…“[Theauthority] had reminded the relevant travel agents and restaurant operators receiving mainland Chinese tour groups to be more vigilant in ensuring food and environmental hygiene, and to caution visitors to observe personal, food and environmental hygiene for their safety.”
The restaurant where the affected tourists had dinner was also involved in two other food poisoning cases in July.
What’s going on? Transit Jam explains…
…The govt offered junket operators stupid sums of money ($400 per head, with no quality control) to organise “thematic” tours. The govt also offered $100 million in restaurant vouchers to all incoming tourists (again, with no quality control or auditions).
End result: if you can get a bunch of muppets on a shitty bus and feed them cheap, you’re looking at ~$450/head pure profit. Cue “thematic tours” of To Kwa Wan with a stop in gangster Lui’s cousin’s “seafood” restaurant for $20 worth of “lobster” dressed up as a banquet.
Mustn’t forget [the Food and Environmental Hygiene Dept’s] role in all this, failing to properly inspect restaurants (unless they’re “yellow” of course, in which case a scuff-mark on the wall = stiff fine/closure notice) and, if complaints or food poisoning cases arise, simply “reminding” the owner to rectify.
Sam Hou-fai, Macau’s top judge, will take over as the city’s Chief Executive in December. He has gathered 383 nominations from the 400-strong committee that ‘elects’ the CE in October (or in fact doesn’t need to bother electing him, as there will be no-one else on the ballot).
But has Taylor Swift endorsed him?
Sam Who?
The TIA wants agents to “caution visitors to observe personal, food and environmental hygiene for their safety”. What, because all 63 of them might have forgotten to wash their hands after going to the lavatory, one day at the same restaurant?
Lucky they also reminded the restaurant operator. Sorry, I mean restaurant operators in general.
I’m sure it won’t happen again.
@Lo Wu Vuitton: I think that’s the point.
So Hongkeys spending the weekend up in Shenzhen for excellent value-for-money food and accommodations whilst mainland rubes get taken for a ride on the shitter express down in HK when they too could have just not bothered crossing the border? Word will spread.
I am looking forward to seeing MAGAs lose their mind when their great Cheese God loses the election in November.
Frankly red hat tourists getting fleeced and exploited & ill has been in the post for ages.
They get taken to the same shops in industrial areas of HKG. Get taken to the same tourist sites (golden doggy do, the harbour view from hung Hom &c) and the same cheap cafes / buffet restaurants. So let’s be straight; some people are on the make big style.
Patriots are ruling Hong Kong & fleecing it.
Note there was no outcry from district councillors or Leggers and emands that the restaurant be closed down for intensive cleaning.
If it was a yellow venue the govt depts would be lining up to conduct ‘inspections’.
Instead the statements issued hint that the hygiene standards of the visitors could be the issue.
@Mary Melville
Wouldn’t hold your breath. With no real elections anymore, there’s absolutely zero incentive to be seen to do things for local people.
The lazy LegCo grifters who are phoning it in will argue it’s not their remit.
District councillors’ meetings aren’t on TV, so DCs are not even bothering to phone it in, they’re just picking up their salaries and running their own personal grifts. Which no doubt includes picking up a hefty kickback once a month from gangster Lui’s cousin’s “seafood” restaurant.
And to be honest, it wouldn’t be a yellow venue because the folk running it would still have some humanity, and thus wouldn’t be in on the scam: poisoning folk in the name of profit is very much a “patriots”-only scheme. See also: baby milk powder, gutter oil, fake eggs, etc etc.
@Dysentery
Good stuff. Respect.