Reviving tourism means making Hong Kong more welcoming and sustainable
- What has worked for Hong Kong in the past probably won’t succeed in a world that is supposed to be focused on climate change and sustainability
- Rethinking how to promote the city and making visitors feel more welcome are essential to restoring Hong Kong’s battered reputation
Who knows when normal times will return but, when they do, authorities have some serious work to do.
A recommended 60-hour tour seems less about enjoyment than making a quick buck and inducing fatigue. Day 1 is Lantau Big Buddha, Mong Kok flower market, Sham Shui Po Park, a series of street markets down to Temple Street in Jordan, then over to SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong on Hong Kong Island for the nightlife. Day 2 is Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, Star Ferry, Ocean Park and Stanley. Day 3 is The Peak and, I assume given the lack of further suggestions, shopping.
Encouraging tourists to spend is why we want them, but the attractions we are selling them haven’t changed for decades. Fortunately, more than two years of overseas travel restrictions have revealed a side of Hong Kong that we all knew was there but many of us never properly explored.
There’s a link to hiking on the Tourism Board’s homepage, but it’s just one among dozens. It should instead be highlighting that and other green aspects of Hong Kong. So much greenery, beauty and tranquillity are a welcome respite from the concrete, traffic noise and diesel fumes.
But bringing back tourism in a sustainable way requires more than rethinking how better to promote Hong Kong. My son recently returned from Paris, and he and others I have spoken to confirmed they were made to feel less than welcome on arrival.
Granted, anti-pandemic measures are in effect and PCR testing is still required for all incoming passengers before they are sent to quarantine. I would not expect marching bands, balloons and immigration officers wearing party hats.
Peter Kammerer is a senior writer at the Post