Hong Kong can use ‘panda economy’ to drum up business amid arrival of 2 new bears: minister

Tourism minister Kevin Yeung says city officials to also discuss residents renaming pandas, after saying bears already have names

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Ying Ying, one of the giant pandas already living at Ocean Park. Photo: Elson Li

Published: 2:05pm, 13 Jul 2024Updated: 7:37pm, 13 Jul 2024

Hong Kong can promote a “panda economy” with the arrival of a new pair of bears before October, the tourism minister has said, pointing to the catering and retail sectors as among the potential beneficiaries of the proposed push.

Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, the secretary for culture, sports and tourism, said on Saturday that the pair already had names, a hint that Hongkongers might not get the chance to pick new ones.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that Beijing was gifting the bears to Hong Kong during a speech to mark the 27th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty.

Yeung, who joined a delegation led by Lee to visit the giant pandas in Sichuan province, said he was impressed by how mainland Chinese authorities had made good use of the animals to drive the area’s economy.

“It’s about the panda economy. In Chengdu, they have made full use of pandas as a means of economic development, which is not just about tourism,” he told a radio programme.

“Not only are there many panda-themed decorations in the city to promote tourism, many cultural and creative products also use pandas as a concept, so you can actually see the presence of pandas in different areas.”