With overcrowding becoming a serious problem in Hong Kong, the Democratic Party proposed an entry tax of HK$20 to HK$100 for mainland tourists, which will relieve overcrowding and deter smugglers.
However, Chief Executive Leung shot down the idea, citing that since large amounts of Hong Kong people visit mainland China everyday and don’t pay taxes, it seems unfair that mainland tourists should have to pay tax. He added that mainland tourists are an important part of Hong Kong’s tourism industry, and the city should not act in such an arrogant way.
The last comment especially sparked outrage from netizens, who pointed out that world-class cities like Paris and Venice all have entry taxes, and that this will relief the problem of overcrowding. The proposed tax is predicted to reduce 10 million visitors, most of whom have lower spending power, and hence will not affect the tourism industry much.
Source: Apple Daily
Photo: AFP
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