Introduction

The Travel Industry Authority (TIA) has appointed the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC) as the examination body for the licensing examinations.

• Candidates should refer to the "Standard Course Materials for Pre-Examination Training" and "Key Revision Topics" to understand the requirements of the licensing examination.
• For details of the licensing examination of tour escorts, please refer to the dedicated webpage of TIA.
• Applicants for a tour escorts licence must fulfil the relevant licensing criteria. Please refer to the dedicated webpage of TIA for details.
• If you have question regarding the licensing criteria, including whether you have fulfilled the educational requirement, please contact the TIA by email at enquiry@tia.org.hk or by phone at (852) 3698 5900 for enquiries.

I. Application Requirements

• Applicant must have reached age 16.
• Those who intend to apply for the examination, please register for a TIC eLearning Platform account and sign in to the account to complete the enrollment process. Personal enrollment records, results and electronic certificates will be stored in the user account for future reference.
• If a candidate has passed a licensing examination of tour escorts, the candidate must apply for a licence within two years from the date of the licensing examination in order to be considered as having fulfilled the licensing criterion. The examination results will be invalid after the two-year period.
• The new teaching materials for the Pre-examination Training Course for Tour Escorts have been published, and the related content for the licensing examination has been updated. Candidates who participated in the licensing examination between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023 and have not obtained a passing rate by August 31, 2023 can contact the Travel Industry Authority by email (exam@tia.org.hk) to obtain information on the arrangement of the latest version of the teaching materials.

II. Fundings Scheme

Development Fund for the Travel Industry (for eligible staff members of travel agents or tourist guides application)

Applicant will be subsidised with a maximum of 70% of the fee of a training activity if its application is successful provided that the fee of the training activity per person is not less than HK$500. The subsidy ceiling for each travel agent is HK$30,000 per year. The year of subsidy is to commence from 1 January of each year until 31 December of the same year. Please refer to the webpage of TIC for details. (*Applicant must submit the application form before signing up for the training activity concerned.)

Training subsidy scheme for practitioners of the travel industry (Phase 3)

Individuals who hold a tourist guide licence and / or tour escort licence in the period from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2028 may apply for a subsidy on a reimbursement basis. Please visit the TIA webpage for details of the training subsidy scheme for practitioners of the travel industry (Phase 3).

III. Examination Arrangements

• A minimum of 15 applicants are required for each examination. When the number of candidates for each examination is less than the minimum number of candidates for the examination, the staff of the TIC Industry Training Department will notify the candidates by email that the examination date will be cancelled and a new examination schedule will be provided. Arrangements will be made based on the actual situation.
• The tentative examination timetable will be changed in light of the actual situation.
• Regarding the application for special examination arrangements for candidates with specific learning difficulties and disabilities, please contact the TIC Training Department by email (training@tichk.org).

IV. Arrangements for Absence of Examination

• Once an examination has been registered, no changes or cancellations will be permitted.
• If a candidate is absent from the examination without a valid reason, they are required to submit a new application and pay fees for a re-sit. All paid fees will not be refunded.
• Candidates absent from an examination due to health issue or illness must notify the TIC via phone or e-mail prior the commencement of the examination. To apply for rescheduling, candidates must submit a medical certificate (covering the day of the examination) issued by a registered doctor and pay the relevant administration fee. Please contact the TIC for details. The TIC reserves the right of final decision on all rescheduling applications.
• Candidates who arrive more than 15 minutes after the examination has begun will be regarded as giving up the examination, and will NOT be permitted to enter the examination venue.

V. Examination Paper

In Chinese Only

*English examination paper will be arranged individually. Before any enrollment, please email to the TIC Training Department (training@tichk.org) and states in the subject "Application for English Licensing Examination of Tour Escorts" for further arrangement. 

VI. Examination Certificate

Examination results will be released by e-mail within 6 weeks after the examination date. Examination Certificate (in electronic format) will only be issued for candidates who have passed the licensing examination of tour escorts. 

VII. Result Review and Appeal System

Candidates who fail the examination can apply for examination result review and/or appeal. Please contact the TIC for details. 

(Candidate shall submit an application form together with a result review/appeal fee within 30 days after their examination results notification has been sent by the TIC. Application filed after above-mentioned 30-day period will not be considered.)