Is it time to scrap National Day fireworks for good?

The government's decision to cancel the National Day fireworks has alarmed some in the tourism trade while also sparking a debate over whether the display should ever take place again.

The government yesterday announced it was calling off this year's National Day festivities in Victoria Harbour as a mark of respect for the victims of the ferry crash, most of whom had been on their way to attend the display.

Some internet users argue that there are already too many celebratory fireworks displays, with others taking place on the calendar and lunar new year holidays. This year those displays saw a sharp fall in the number of boat trips in the wake of the disaster that claimed 39 lives.

National Day fireworks began after the handover in 1997. The following year, some 380,000 people turned out. The attendance had fallen to 310,000 by last year, for an event that attracted HK$6 million in sponsorship.

Ryan Tsui Chi-shing, the younger brother of Tsui Chi-wai and uncle to Tsui Hoi-ying, 10, who both died in the ferry crash, said he would rather see the money spent to help the families of the victims or the needy.

Lawmaker and Executive Council member Starry Lee Wai-king said it was time to review the fireworks displays. "Some citizens tell me that three times a year is quite a lot," she said.

But tourism industry veterans think otherwise.