Stiff competition for new Hong Kong volunteer tourist adviser roles as charm offensive starts
- Almost 10 applicants for every one volunteer tourism adviser post as record 440 people apply for roles
The board said on Sunday that it had received a record 440 applications for the Hong Kong Pals volunteer programme, which started in 2009, and that only 48 were picked.
The new volunteers came from all walks of life, such as university students, new graduates, lawyers, engineers, school and university staff and civil servants and will take the number of people involved in the programme to 107.
“With their knowledge and skills acquired from different areas, the volunteers can work on the front line … to offer timely, customised travel advice from a local’s point of view, showcasing Hong Kong’s unique spirit of hospitality,” the board’s general manager of corporate affairs Alice Li Wah said.
The volunteers will spend three months training in communications, itinerary planning and photography, along with workshops and guided tours, until October.
The board said they would hit the streets to meet visitors in November alongside existing volunteers.
