Letters | Is Hong Kong mentally prepared for tourists amid the Covid-19 pandemic?

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What would you recommend if a friend was planning to stay in Hong Kong for less than 24 hours? I would suggest spending an afternoon at a local cha chaan teng savouring a pineapple bun with butter and sipping a cup of mellow Hong Kong-style milk tea. This is the Hong Kong that we, as Hongkongers, would like our friends from elsewhere to remember.

I felt embarrassed about needing to send such a list. The mask mandate might still be justified. But how was I to explain that they could only have meals delivered as they are considered to be too high risk to eat in restaurants? I sent them a list of eateries, but am afraid they will end up being denied access to most of them and forced to swallow cold pineapple buns in a park, similar to the experience of the group of South African tourists who arrived in Hong Kong unaware of the “amber code” restrictions.

According to official data from 2019, the average length of stay for overnight visitors was 3.3 nights. Given this, it’s clear why there are so few tourist arrivals.

Many Hongkongers are of the opinion that most of the existing pandemic measures could be adjusted or even discontinued if the “0+3” arrangement and the two major events this month prove not to aggravate the pandemic. It remains to be seen if Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is still serious about telling Hong Kong’s story to the world. He knows actions speak louder than words. The city has the infrastructural resources to host visitors, but is it mentally prepared?