Li Qiaozhen at her press conference in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
29 JULY: A Hong Kong tour guide who made headlines after allegedly berating a busload of Chinese tourists for not spending enough during a shopping excursion has apologised at a media conference.
A video clip showing Li Qiaozhen seemingly abusing tourists over their failure to spend up at a jewellery store sparked uproar in China when it was posted on the internet two weeks ago.
It has also caused alarm in Hong Kong, with tourism officials fearing it could have a dramatic adverse effect on the flow of visitors from the mainland.
The Hong Kong Travel Industry Council has been concerned for some time about the hard-sell tactics some tour guides employ in a bid to boost the secret commissions they earn from various stores
At a media conference on Tuesday, Li admitted that she’d abused the tourists, but said they been rude to her, as well, and had not spent anywhere near as much as they claimed, the China Daily reports.
"It takes two to tango", she said.
She said she has felt enormous pressure since the incident and is now hiding out at a friend’s home in Shenzhen, across the border in China, "because I don’t dare stay in Hong Kong".
