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Hong Kong pollution draws attention worldwide 香港空污嚴重引發全球關注
Monday, Apr 02, 2007,Page 15
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A woman shields herself from the air in a Hong Kong shopping district, Jan. 31, 2007.
1月3日在烏煙瘴氣的香港購物區，一名婦女忍不住遮掩口鼻。 (照片：法新社)
PHOTO: AFP
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News reports of chronic air pollution are putting Hong Kong's reputation as a top Asian tourist destination at risk, travel industry figures have warned.
With tourism numbers down in the early part of this year, image makers are moving full throttle in a bid to rebuild travellers' confidence in the city.
Hong Kong's worsening pollution is a growing tourist turn-off as smog, mostly from southern China's neighbouring industrialized Pearl River delta region, wafts in and blots out the famous skyline.
Surveys by green groups show visitors are increasingly suffering from smog-related illnesses and lodging complaints about the poor air quality.
But the problem has become so big an issue that news has travelled quickly overseas, posing a headache for the tourism industry.
"Pollution is the worst publicity we can get," said Franz Donhauser, chairman-elect of the Hong Kong chapter of the International Association of Travel and Tourism Professionals (SKAL), a worldwide trade concern group.
"It is something that business people, hotel guests and journalists are mentioning to us more and more," added Donhauser, who is also general manager of Hong Kong's five-star Island Shangri-La Hotel.
In 2005, the government reacted angrily when a travel column in a leading British newspaper warned visitors to avoid Hong Kong as its air posed a serious health risk.
Also, last year, foreign chambers of commerce, including the powerful British and American chambers, warned that executives from their home countries had expressed concerns about setting up shop in Hong Kong because of the pollution.
Hong Kong wants to appeal to the bigger-spending travelers in Europe and the US and considers this kind of news counterproductive.(AFP)
旅遊業者警告說，長年空氣污染的新聞報導，讓香港亞洲最受歡迎觀光景點的地位岌岌可危。
隨著今年初到港遊客人數減少，當地負責形象推廣的人員正卯足全力，準備重振遊客對香港的信心。
香港的污染問題日益惡化，愈來愈多觀光客因此怯步，而讓這片知名藍天「蒙塵」的煙霾，多半飄自於鄰近的中國珠江三角洲工業區。
綠色團體的調查顯示，罹患由煙霧引發的相關疾病，及抱怨空氣品質惡劣的遊客愈來愈多。
但由於空污問題已成為一項重大議題，消息迅速傳遍海外，對觀光業造成不小衝擊。
國際性貿易關切組織「順風社」香港主席當選人鄧世勳說：「污染是我們最負面的宣傳。」
也是五星級港島香格里拉大酒店總經理的鄧世勳還說：「愈來愈多商務人士、飯店房客及新聞工作者向我們反應這件事。」
二００五年時，英國一家大報在其旅遊專欄中警告遊客避免到香港旅遊，因為當地的空氣嚴重危害健康，此舉引發港府強烈不滿。
此外，包括極具影響力的英、美商會在內的外商會員也在去年提出警告，污染問題已影響他們母國高階主管在港投資設點的意願。
香港想要吸引肯花大錢的歐美觀光客上門，因此視這類消息為反效宣傳。
（法新社／翻譯：林倩如）
| Today's Words 今天單字 |
1. reputation n.
名聲 (ming2 sheng1)
例: The manager's reputation was badly damaged when the reports of corruption came out.
(收賄傳聞一出，那位經理的名聲嚴重受損。)
2. smog n.
煙霧 (yan1 wu4)
例: Our city has smog thanks to the many nearby factories.
(本市之所以煙霧繚繞，都得歸咎於附近工廠眾多。)
3. journalist n.
新聞工作者 (xin1 wen2 gong1 zuo4 zhe3)
例: If you are a journalist, you must be careful to report accurately.
(新聞工作者必須留意報導的正確性。)
4. counterproductive adj.
產生不良後果的 (chan3 sheng1 bu4 liang2 hou4 guo3 de5)
例: If you want to get people to help you, yelling at them is counterproductive.
(若要找人幫忙，對對方大呼小叫反而會有反效果。) |
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