Prudence Lui, Hong Kong (2010-01-29)

HONG KONG's strong outbound showing in the second half of 2009 has allowed agencies to reward their staff with substantial bonuses.

Employees of EGL Tours are poised for a windfall as the agency has announced plans to share its 2009 profit of HK$4.5 million (US$579,273) with its 600 staff.

Some exemplary employees may be rewarded with six-digit bonuses. The five-person strong top management has, however, agreed to pocket a mere HK$18 in bonuses.

Executive director Steve Huen expects to achieve double-digit growth in outbound tour traffic this year. For instance, Chinese New Year packages are 99 per cent full, despite a 10 to 30 per cent price hike. The agency will also launch an online transaction service this year.

For its part, Goldjoy Travel rewarded its employees with bonuses amounting to one to three months' salary last September. Staff also received pay hikes of three to seven per cent at the year-end.

Statistics from the Travel Industry Council indicated a mere 7.8 per cent drop in air ticket sales last year, from 5.6 million in 2008 to 5.1 million in 2009.