Hong Kong urged to innovate for tourist spending boost

Hong Kong businesses need to innovate to attract tourist spending, rather than focusing on the decline in visitor expenditure, a senior official has advised. Warner Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, highlighted yesterday, October 20, that tourists are still eager to spend but have heightened expectations.

“We cannot just complain about why people aren’t spending money. It’s not that they don’t want to spend, there needs to be places where they find it worthwhile to spend.”

He emphasised that tourists, particularly from mainland China, are increasingly interested in diverse activities like city walks, which demand higher service quality to make them “feel at home.”

Lawmaker Peter Shiu Ka-fai, representing the retail sector, acknowledged the need for innovation to improve standards but pointed out challenges such as staff shortages and heavy workloads.

When asked about the increasing trend of residents’ spending in neighbouring Shenzhen, Shiu suggested focusing on attracting more mainland visitors rather than trying to prevent cross-border travel. He recommended initiatives like resuming multi-entry visas for Shenzhen residents and expanding the “one-trip-per-week” visa scheme to other provinces in mainland China.

John Lee Ka-chiu, in his policy address last week, announced the formation of a working group led by Cheuk to develop tourist spots. Cheuk confirmed that the group’s first meeting would take place next month, aiming to gather input from all 18 districts and various sectors, with a focus on “innovative and practical” tourism projects.

No rigid targets

Cheuk also addressed concerns over attracting visitors from the Middle East and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, clarifying that there are no rigid targets for visitor numbers. He also discussed misunderstandings about taxi drivers learning Arabic, suggesting simple gestures such as displaying signs in Arabic saying “welcome.”

The latest policy blueprint aims to attract more visitors from the Middle East and ASEAN. Measures include compiling a list of halal restaurants, encouraging commercial establishments to set up facilities like prayer rooms, providing information at the airport in Arabic, and encouraging taxi fleets to offer service details in the language.

The taxi initiative, however, drew ridicule online, with memes and social media posts poking fun at the idea, such as asking how to say “I don’t cross the harbour” in Arabic, referring to some taxi drivers’ selective service practices, reported Bangkok Post.

Cheuk also highlighted Hong Kong’s rich tourism resources, advocating for new projects that leverage the city’s strengths, such as its culinary scene. He suggested the creation of a street food market as a potential attraction.

As part of its Night Vibes campaign, the government set up a temporary night market in Jordan’s Temple Street in December 2023, which is scheduled to run until the end of the year.