HK tourism seeks to clean up its image

Beijingers who plan to travel to Hong Kong will be able to join tours without forced shopping and extra charges, the head of Hong Kong's tourism authority promised.

James Tien, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), was on a trip to the mainland to restore the image of Hong Kong tourism, which has been tarnished by a number of scandals in recent months.

Many tourist companies offered Hong Kong tours at very low prices to travelers from the mainland, but then forced participants to buy goods in assigned stores or pay extra charges.