Shades Off | Reviving tourism means making Hong Kong more welcoming and sustainable

A damaged reputation takes years to rebuild. In the wrong hands, perhaps it can never be repaired. Hong Kong’s has taken a battering, being buffeted and torn by the winds of anti-Chinese sentiment in the West and tough anti-pandemic regulations that have made it unattractive to businesspeople and tourists alike.

I’m no public relations expert, but I know that what worked before has a slim chance in the future. Global inflation and Hong Kong’s connections to the US dollar make it unattractive as a shopping paradise. Theme parks are a stale concept.

All those tall buildings and concrete aren’t what anyone wants to see in a world that is supposed to be focused on climate change. We should be constructing, conserving and living smarter to keep rising temperatures in check. Don’t tell the world how backward we are with recycling, waste disposal, electric buses and trucks – it will laugh in our faces.

A scan of the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s website gives an idea of the scale of what we’re up against. While I appreciate Covid-19 restrictions have made life difficult for tourism promoters – only in recent weeks has the industry been allowed to resume local tours – pushing hackneyed or run-down attractions simply isn’t enticing.

There are links to Central Market, Disneyland, the Star Ferry, The Peak, the Avenue of the Stars, the Symphony of Lights and “revitalised historic buildings”.