Chee Yik-wai

Opinion | Believe it or not, Hong Kong’s culture and nature are what will draw tourists

No amount of promotion abroad, free air tickets or mega events will work if Hong Kong does not go big on local arts, culture and ecotourism

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Chee Yik-wai

Published: 9:30am, 19 Jun 2024

Hong Kong’s tourism struggles appear to have sunk to a new low with the government telling Hongkongers to “smile more” to attract visitors – an idea that is naive, if not absurd. The slow return of tourists has been blamed on false narratives of Hong Kong in the Western media. But the reality is that far less liberal places in the region are enjoying a strong tourism recovery.

Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia are making strong progress in attracting more international visitors. Elsewhere, in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia recorded a 156 per cent jump in international arrivals compared to 2019.

The problem with Hong Kong tourism is likely to lie squarely with the city’s declining competitiveness and attractiveness to international tourists.

The government has worked diligently to come up with more strategies and activities. Most seem to bank on the mainland market and mega events akin to Taylor Swift concerts.

Unfortunately, Hong Kong’s strong dollar (thanks to its US dollar peg) and the recent slowdown in the Chinese economy has led to flagging enthusiasm among mainland tourists for Hong Kong.

Ecotourism and cultural tourism do not seem a high priority for government strategies. Yet, realistically, they are the best hope to revive tourism. During the golden age of Cantopop and Hong Kong cinema, fans flocked to the city on a kind of cultural pilgrimage, much as K-pop and K-drama devotees now descend on South Korea.