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Opinion | Cathay Pacific discrimination scandal shows roots of anti-mainland sentiment in Hong Kong still unaddressed
- Legal measures will merely provide temporary relief as they are only useful when both parties recognise what amounts to wrongdoing
- The government must look deeper into the causes of tensions between Hongkongers and mainland visitors, and take seriously the difficulties faced by tourism sector workers
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The recent Cathay Pacific discrimination scandal has cast doubt on the local government’s “Hello Hong Kong” campaign. After a social media post in which a Mandarin-speaking passenger accused cabin crew of mocking passengers’ English-language abilities on a flight from Chengdu to Hong Kong went viral on the mainland, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, the People’s Daily and Xinhua News Agency condemned the discrimination and demanded the airline deal seriously with the issue.
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Though Cathay Pacific quickly fired the attendants and its CEO apologised in Mandarin, the incident has cast a shadow on Hong Kong’s global public relations campaign and the company’s reputation.
In 2019, Cathay Pacific faced a backlash from the mainland over some employees’ support of the anti-government protests. Then, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the airline had to suspend most of its flights and has only recently begun rebuilding its route network.
As part of the government’s campaign to boost tourism, Cathay Pacific has rolled out large ticket giveaways, including one targeted at the Greater Bay Area. Travellers who were meant to happily fly to Hong Kong and spend their time and money here now might start to wonder if they will face the same discrimination.
02:07
Hong Kong to give away 500,000 airline tickets as part of a HK$2 billion promotion campaign
Hong Kong to give away 500,000 airline tickets as part of a HK$2 billion promotion campaign
This is far from the first time that tourism has been a source of tension between Hongkongers and visitors from the mainland. Not long after the border between the Hong Kong and the mainland reopened, residents of To Kwa Wan and other areas started complaining about the crowds of tourists, visitors from the mainland eating takeaway meals in the street and the disruption caused by tour buses.
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