https://hk.news.yahoo.com/新聞點評-thomas-cook死得冤枉-193000529.html
【新聞點評】Thomas Cook死得冤枉
信報財經新聞
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2019年10月24日 上午7:58
【新聞點評】Thomas Cook死得冤枉
全球第一家旅行社、有178年歷史的Thomas Cook上月宣布破產，現在看來，死得有點冤枉，倘能再撐一個月，就有機會被香港特區政府救活。港府昨日宣布新一輪刺激經濟措施，向每名外遊市民資助100元「機票錢」，不過只限跟團旅客，問題是現今香港人外遊接近90%都選擇自由行。如同早前大手筆津貼的士燃料費，卻同時趕絕網約車（例如Uber），反映港府離地離到上火星，仍活在1960年七十二家房客時代。
當然，商務及經濟發展局局長邱騰華昨日強調，這100元以及向入境旅客津貼的120元，並非直接派錢給旅客，而是「獎勵」旅行社，因為他們經營環境惡劣云云。
補貼跟團客 僅耗資億元
問題是，根據統計，現時不論港人外遊或外地旅客訪港，多達90%都選擇自由行，僅餘約10%仍使用旅行社服務；港府若要幫助旅遊業及維持民航流量，為何不針對佔絕大多數的90%人，偏偏「派錢」予只服務少數人的商戶？
對此問題，只想到三個可能原因：一、香港市民每年搭飛機外遊加上旅客搭飛機訪港人次（剔除過境旅客）接近6000萬，若要每人補貼100元，總數達60億元，金額不小；相比之下，當局昨日宣布的措施只需花一億元（這亦間接反映「跟團客」有幾小眾），慳皮得多。
二、金額多寡之外，還有行政問題。港府去年向344萬市民每人派4000元也搞到一鑊粥，至今還未派完；若要向多達6000萬人次每位派100元，難度再高十幾級，隨時又釀成一次國際大笑話。港府不選擇這條路，某程度算有自知之明。
旅社的士業 受惠有玄機
三、最大問題在於，即便直接補貼旅客不可行，但為何偏偏要「派錢」予旅行社？若說受「反送中」風波影響，那麼餐飲、零售等行業同樣當殃，何解未獲同類援手？這難免令人懷疑關乎政治考慮，皆因旅行社行業、尤其經營廉價入境團、購物團的商家，向來是熱烈擁護政府的群體之一，獲補助也是情理之中。
除了入境團旅行社，還有什麼行業最大力撐政府？答案肯定包括的士業。港府本周二宣布的新一輪紓困措施，正是重點扶持的士業，司機每入1公升石油氣可獲1元補貼，比起現時氣價每公升約3元，補貼比率達三成，預料每名司機在半年內可多賺1.8萬元，實屬極大手筆派糖。
最搞笑的是，相較於其他行業，的士業受「反送中」風波影響其實不算特別慘情，事關現時港鐵（00066）經常局部關站甚至全線停止服務，又有市民發起「罷搭港鐵」行動，在一定程度上令的士業生意「失之東隅，收之桑榆。」只須看每逢周末機場客運站大排長龍等的士，便可知這些「大旗」讓的士業受惠不少。當然，仍有些的士司機不爽，例如習慣揀客、不過海、嫌短途、嫌長途、不熟路、只跑自己熟悉幾個區的司機大佬，不願靈活將就，則恐怕有金也執不到。
堅離地措施 違社會潮流
此外，世界各地政府（包括中國內地）早已把滴滴、Uber等網約車行業規範化，港府卻一直反潮流地拒開放市場予網約車，比第三世界國家更加落後；而今次大手筆補貼的士燃料費，其實也等於令網約車（包括在香港屬於合法的call van貨運服務）更陷劣勢。
觀乎港府這兩輪紓困措施，一方面津貼旅行社、惟不顧90%自由行旅客，同時大力補助的士業、繼續趕絕網約車，便可知這個政府依然離地，猶如從1960年代「穿越」到今時今日。可惜Thomas Cook上月便壽終，否則在港府發起的復古運動下，或有機會枯木逢春。由特區政府帶領，香港很快可以回到獅子山下揼石仔、黐膠花的good old days。
[News comment] Thomas Cook died
[信报财经新闻]
Newsletter Financial News
4.4k person tracking
October 24, 2019, 7:58 am
[News comment] Thomas Cook died
The world's first travel agency, the 178-year-old Thomas Cook, declared bankruptcy last month. Now it seems that the death is a bit embarrassing. If it can last another month, it will have the opportunity to be saved by the Hong Kong SAR government. The Hong Kong Government announced a new round of stimulus measures yesterday to subsidize 100 yuan of "ticket money" to each outbound traveller. However, it is only for travellers. The problem is that nearly 90% of Hong Kong people are now free to travel. As early as the large-scale subsidy for taxi fuel, but at the same time escaping from the network of cars (such as Uber), reflecting that the Hong Kong government left the Mars, still live in the seventy-two era of the 1960s.
Of course, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, stressed yesterday that the $100 and the $120 allowance for inbound passengers were not directly paid to passengers but to "reward" travel agents because of their poor operating environment.
Subsidies and group customers only cost 100 million yuan
The problem is that according to statistics, as far as Hong Kong's outbound tourists or foreign visitors visit Hong Kong, as many as 90% of them choose to travel freely. Only about 10% of them still use travel agency services. If the Hong Kong Government wants to help the tourism industry and maintain civil aviation traffic, why not? For the majority of 90% of the people, is it "paying money" to merchants who only serve a few people?
On this issue, I only think of three possible reasons: First, the Hong Kong people travel by plane each year and passengers fly to Hong Kong (excluding transit passengers) close to 60 million. If they want to subsidize 100 yuan each, the total amount will be 6 billion yuan. The amount is not small; by contrast, the measures announced yesterday are only $100 million (which indirectly reflects the "small group" with the group).
Second, in addition to the amount of money, there are administrative issues. Last year, the Hong Kong Government sent 4,000 yuan to each of the 3.44 million citizens to get a porridge. It has not yet been dispatched. If it is necessary to send 100 yuan to each of the 60 million people, the difficulty will be higher by a dozen or more. An international big joke. The Hong Kong Government does not choose this road, and it is self-aware to a certain extent.
Traveling taxi industry benefiting from mystery
Third, the biggest problem is that even if it is not feasible to directly subsidize passengers, why do you want to "send money" to travel agencies? If it is said that it is affected by the "reverse delivery" storm, then the food and beverage, retail and other industries are equally guilty. Why hasn't the same kind of help? This is inevitably a matter of political considerations. It is because the travel agency industry, especially those that operate cheap immigration groups and shopping groups, has always been one of the groups that enthusiastically support the government. It is also reasonable to receive subsidies.
In addition to the travel agencies of the immigration group, what other industries are the best to support the government? The answer definitely includes the taxi industry. The new round of relief measures announced by the Hong Kong Government on Tuesday is precisely to support the taxi industry. Drivers can get a subsidy of 1 yuan for every 1 liter of LPG. The subsidy ratio is 30% compared with the current gas price of about 3 yuan per liter. It is expected that each driver can earn an additional 18,000 yuan within half a year.
The most hilarious thing is that compared with other industries, the taxi industry is not particularly affected by the "reverse delivery" storm. It is related to the fact that the MTR (00066) often stops at the local station or even stops the whole service. The "stopping the MTR" operation has, to a certain extent, caused the taxi trade to be "unsuccessful and sorrowful." It is only necessary to see the taxis at the Airport Bus Terminal on weekends. The taxi industry has benefited a lot. Of course, there are still some taxi drivers who are uncomfortable. For example, they are used to picking up passengers, but they are too short-distance, too long-distance, unfamiliar, and only run drivers who are familiar with several districts. If they are not willing to be flexible, then I am afraid that there will be gold. Not enough.
Resolute measures to violate the social trend
In addition, governments around the world (including mainland China) have already standardized the Internet-based car industry such as Didi, Uber, etc. The Hong Kong government has been refusing to open the market to the Internet, which is more backward than the third world countries. The taxi fuel fee is actually equal to the disadvantage of the network car (including the legal call van cargo service in Hong Kong).
Looking at the two rounds of relief measures of the Hong Kong Government, on the one hand, subsidizing travel agencies, but regardless of 90% of free travellers, while vigorously subsidizing the taxi industry and continuing to sneak out of the network, you can know that the government is still off the ground, as if from the 1960s "Through" to this day and today. It is a pity that Thomas Cook will end in the last month. Otherwise, under the retro movement initiated by the Hong Kong Government, there may be opportunities for dead wood. Led by the SAR Government, Hong Kong will soon be able to return to the good old days of Shijiazhuang and Laihua.
