Editorial | Hong Kong needs to move with tourism times to match regional rivals
- Reopening of border has shown the city can no longer take the mainland market for granted and the tourism industry must rebuild for better days
The most eagerly awaited event in recent memory has turned out to be a sobering letdown. The reopening of the border with the mainland did not result in the anticipated flood of inbound tourists, or even come close to filling the quotas on the first two days.
Local pharmacies and tour bus operators among others were understandably disappointed. The government put a brave face on it. Amid intense competition, the mainland market can no longer be taken for granted.
The anticlimax is a timely reminder that the lifting of Covid-19 controls does not automatically mean the return of the good old days.
The mainland may be the world’s biggest tourism consumer market, right on the city’s doorstep. But after three years of pandemic-related constraint, global and regional competition for tourists – a quick source of an economic boost – matches demand for talent and investment.
Chinese travel horizons have broadened. Hong Kong must move with the times if it is to catch up with places that reopened sooner.
It is good therefore that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has announced the launch of a “big promotion exercise” next month to lure visitors to the city.
