Hong Kong only received HK$189 million (US$24.1 million) in the first quarter under a reintroduced hotel accommodation tax, authorities have revealed, prompting some tourism industry leaders to raise concerns about whether the government can meet its HK$1.1 billion annual income target.

Sector veterans also called for more government support measures, telling the Post that the tax figures reflected that hotels were struggling and had been forced to reduce their prices to attract tourists.

The 3 per cent tax, which applies to all patrons, was reintroduced on January 1.

The government announced the policy’s return last year and said the measure was expected to bring in HK$1.1 billion each year. The tax was previously waived in 2008.

But in a reply to the Post in June, the Inland Revenue Department said the government had garnered HK$189 million under the tax in the first quarter of this year, while payments for the second quarter were not yet due at the time of its reply.

“We aim to meet the government’s tax target, but we are concerned we might not be able to meet the target,” said Caspar Tsui Ying-wai, executive director of the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners.

A dramatic scene unfolded at a hotel in Bhubaneswar‘s Infocity area when a woman employee allegedly went on a rampage, damaging property and attacking fellow staff members.

According to sources, the woman allegedly created a ruckus inside the hotel, assaulting people and breaking everything within her reach. From flower pots and computers to glass cupboards, she reportedly smashed several items using an iron rod. The incident has shocked hotel staff and guests alike.

The entire episode took place in a hotel under the jurisdiction of the Infocity police station. Following the incident, a case has been registered at the Infocity police station, and an investigation is currently underway.

While the motive behind the woman’s actions remains unclear, efforts are on to ascertain the full sequence of events. Police are examining CCTV footage and questioning witnesses to determine the cause of the outburst.

As per the allegation of the hotel manager, the woman employee was irregular in her duties and not maintaining workplace ethics. She was even accused of misbehaving with the customers. 

When she was served a notice to resign from the job, in a fit of rage, she went berserk and started damaging the hotel property. The woman employee even threatened to shut the hotel if she was terminated, the manager alleged. 

As of now, the woman’s statement has not been recorded, and her response to the incident is yet to be received.

Malayalam actor and noted mimicry artiste Kalabhavan Nawas died on August 1. He was found lying unconscious inside his hotel room at Chottanikara, Ernakulam, in Kochi. He was taken to the hospital immediately, where the doctors declared him dead.

He was 51 years old. The cause of death is unknown, while the primary analysis is that he died due to cardiac arrest. A post-mortem will be conducted today to confirm the cause of the death.

He had reached his hotel room in the evening after finishing the shoot of a movie titled ‘Prakambanam’. He had gone back to the hotel to check out of the room. The hotel staff found him unconscious when they checked his room after he had not come out of the room for a long time.

According to his colleagues, he was perfectly fine when he left the location at around 5:30 pm. They said he was going home, as there was a two-day break from the shoot.

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