Love them or loathe them, Hong Kong still a haven for the wheeled suitcase

Venice may have rowed back on the idea of slapping hefty fines on tourists who use wheeled suitcases, but thousands of kilometres away in Hong Kong, the humble travel bag continues to be a signature of its cityscape.

Architects, mall designers, urban planners and health professionals weighed into the debate about an invention on wheels that was first met with disdain when created in 1970, as the idea of not carrying your luggage was considered "unmanly".

Some predicted tourist numbers in Venice, which attracts more than 22 million every year, would drop dramatically if the bags were banned.

Barrie Ho, an architectural designer who has worked on shopping centres, hotels and public spaces in Hong Kong, was in the Italian city last week for the 14th International Architecture Exhibition when he heard about the suitcase ban. It is an idea that would never take flight in Hong Kong, he believes.

"In Venice, suitcases with wheels create a major sound impact for the residents, but that doesn't happen in Hong Kong" because most surfaces are smooth, Ho said.

Locals in Venice were reportedly fed up with the noise created on the cobblestone streets. City officials later clarified that the ban would apply only to commercial trolleys used by traders.