Letters | To be a Muslim tourist draw, Hong Kong could be more halal-friendly

Readers discuss how the city can attract tourists from the Muslim world, lure expats back from the Middle East, and secure its status as a shipping hub

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Muslims break fast during Ramadan at Kowloon Mosque in 2019. To attract Muslim visitors, Hong Kong has to offer suitable meal options. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Published: 11:30am, 28 Dec 2023

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I refer to the letter, “Time to build up Hong Kong brand in Middle East” (December 10), and your correspondent’s call for Hong Kong officials to do more to attract tourists and investors from the Middle East.

It is commendable to see Hong Kong actively developing partnerships with countries in the Middle East to make its economy more resilient. However, to truly attract tourists and investors from Arab and Islamic countries, Hong Kong must prioritise the establishment of halal-friendly infrastructure.

Hong Kong lags behind in this regard. There is just one halal restaurant at the airport and while there are dozens more in the city, the number is nowhere near sufficient. Even major fast food chains, such as KFC, only offer a limited menu of halal food.

For a city that prides itself on being Asia’s World City, these issues should have been addressed long ago. How does Hong Kong plan to attract Muslim visitors without offering suitable meal options?

There is a misconception in Hong Kong that if food does not contain pork, then it is halal. This lack of understanding further highlights the need for Hong Kong to prioritise the development of halal-friendly infrastructure to cater to Muslim visitors.