Advertisement
Opinion | Hello Hong Kong? We need to remind tourists why we’re simply the best
- A bolder, more imaginative approach is needed, better policy coordination and the dropping of all Covid-19 restrictions
- Even after that, the tourism industry will need time to ramp back up to full service and return to a ‘World City’ mindset
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
9
Criticising such a well-intended initiative as Hello Hong Kong is likely to get me written off as something of a party pooper, so maybe I should start by saying some of the good things.
Advertisement
First, it is great that the government is paying so much attention to the tourism industry and devoting considerable resources to supporting its revival after three years of Covid-19-induced disaster.
Second, the personal involvement of the chief executive in such a high-profile manner sends a clear signal to the whole administration – and indeed the entire “HK Inc” superstructure – that the exercise is serious and everyone is expected to get behind it.
Finally, there are clear signs the government does recognise the depth and breadth of the problems the industry is facing and that we need to be in it for the long haul. There have been several official warnings that we cannot expect a quick recovery.
All that said, I do have a bone to pick over some aspects. Let’s start with the slogan. “Hello Hong Kong” means we are greeting ourselves. The idea surely is to put the welcome mat out for people who are not here, so maybe “Say hello to Hong Kong” would better capture the spirit.
Advertisement
A bolder, more imaginative approach might take the line, “Sorry we had to close. But now we’re open again. Welcome back”, which can be shortened to “Welcome back to Hong Kong” or something similar. Our advertising industry has some of the best brains in Asia and I am confident they can do better.
Advertisement