Outbound Travel Alert System
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox Chinese
|order=ts
|t=外遊警示制度
|s=外游警示制度
|j=Ngoi6 jau4 ging2 si6 zai3 dou6
|p=Wài Yóu Jǐngshì Zhìdù
}}
Outbound Travel Alert System (OTA System) is a travel advice system for residents of Hong Kong who are travelling overseas. Based on risk assessments by the Security Bureau of the Hong Kong Government, it advises travellers from Hong Kong of the potential risk to personal safety in other countries or regions in the current environment.[http://www.sb.gov.hk/sc/ota/ Official website of the Outbound Travel Alert System]{{cite news|publisher=Headline Daily |language=zh |date=20 October 2009 | accessdate= 24 November 2013 |title= 外遊警示制度今起生效 |url=http://news.hkheadline.com/instantnews/news_content/200910/20/20091020a113331.html?cat=a }}
History
On 25 November 2008, Thai anti-government protesters of the Thai political crisis rushed into and occupied the Departure Hall of the Suvarnabhumi Airport, which forced the airport to close and cancel all departing flights.{{cite news|language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=26 November 2008 |title=大笑話包機冇人知 }} Nearly 500 residents of Hong Kong were affected by the incident and were stranded in Bangkok.{{cite news| language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=27 November 2008 |title=500港客滯留睏行李帶 }}{{cite news| language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=28 November 2008 |title=五百港人仍滯留 今明仍無航班 }} Two days later, representatives from the Hong Kong tourism industry claimed that the Hong Kong Government had been too passive about the incident, and that the Security Bureau had not issued any travel warnings.{{cite news| language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=28 November 2008 |title=不發旅警 業界轟港府被動 }} The Chinese Government, Macau Government and other countries began to send charters to repatriate their residents from Thailand four days after the incident.{{cite news| language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=2008-11-30 |title=首班澳門包機接載170人 }} However, the Secretary of the Security Bureau announced that Hong Kong would have special arrangements with Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Express for their residents to return home, after a Hong Kong couple were involved in a car crash on the way from Bangkok to Phuket International Airport.{{cite news| language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=2 December 2008 |title=趕搭機車禍港漢死妻傷 }}{{cite news|language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=2 December 2008 |title=大笑話包機冇人知 }}
The Hong Kong Government was accused of being unresponsive, having no sense of crisis and handling the case ineffectively during the incident.{{cite news| language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=3 December 2008 |title=港府遲鈍 曾蔭權被斥廢柴 }}{{cite news| language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=2 December 2008 |title=劉國勳狠批港府袖手 }}{{cite news| language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=4 December 2008 |title=包機七成半空置旅客怒轟 }} The Hong Kong Government and the country's tourism industry held discussions on tourism warning systems; and on 20 October 2009, the Security Bureau established the Outbound Travel Alert System.{{cite news| language = zh | publisher=Oriental Daily News |date=11 March 2010 |title=包機鬧劇催生三色旅警 |url=http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20100311/00176_003.html }}
System
=Alert level=
{{update|date=October 2024}}
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| width=8%| Warning symbols
! width=8%| Warning Level ! width=14%| Circumstances ! width=30%| Messages to public ! width=40%| Nationals or regions under this level | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Outbound Travel Alert System - Signs of threat.png | style="text-align:center; color:#FFD300;"| Amber 黃色 | Signs of threat 有威脅跡象 | Monitor situation Exercise caution | Belgium Bangladesh Bahrain France United Kingdom Indonesia India Israel Japan (Fukushima Prefecture) Kenya Malaysia Maldives Myanmar Nepal Philippines Russia Saudi Arabia Sri Lanka Thailand Tunisia |
| File:Outbound Travel Alert System - Significant threat.png | style="text-align:center; color:red;"| Red 紅色 | Significant threat 有明顯威脅 | Adjust travel plans Avoid non-essential travel | Egypt Iran Lebanon Pakistan Turkey (Southeastern provinces only) |
| File:Outbound Travel Alert System - Severe threat.png | style="text-align:center; color:black;"| Black 黑色 | Severe threat 有嚴重威脅 | Avoid all travel | Syria Ukraine |
=Coverage Area=
The Outbound Travel Alert System covers 85 countries, which are the foreign countries that are the most popular destinations for residents of Hong Kong; other destinations are occasionally added. According to the guidelines of the Security Bureau, Mainland China, Macau and Taiwan are not included in the system.{{cite web| title=85 countries covered by the OTA System (in alphabetical order) |publisher= Security Bureau |accessdate=25 November 2013 |url=http://www.sb.gov.hk/eng/ota/destinations.htm }}
| width="100%"
| valign="top" width="20%" |
| valign="top" width="18%" |
| valign="top" width="18%" |
| valign="top" width="18%" |
| valign="top" width="18%" | |
Related services
The Immigration Department offers a travel advisory service, known as "Points to Note When Planning Your Trip". Three to four days prior to their journey, residents of Hong Kong can provide their cell phone number and their travel destination and dates. The Immigration Department will then send a text message containing any warnings, advisories or incidents relating to that country prior to the traveller's departure.{{cite news|publisher= Immigration Department |date=February 2011 | accessdate= 24 November 2013 |title= Travelling outside Hong Kong |url=http://www.gov.hk/tc/residents/culture/travel/travelout.htm }}
See also
- Foreign Affairs Canada – issues travel advice and advisories on their web site to Canadians travelling abroad called Travel Advice and Advisories{{Cite web|url=https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories|title=Travel Advice and Advisories|date=16 November 2012}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.sb.gov.hk/chi/ota Outbound Travel Alert System]
- [http://www.sb.gov.hk/chi/ota/press-content.htm Press release of Outbound Travel Alert System]
- [http://www.gov.hk/tc/residents/immigration/outsidehk/index.htm Immigration Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit]