Letters | Hong Kong cannot revive its fortunes by mimicking the mainland

Readers discuss Hong Kong’s efforts to boost tourism, and caution against supporting the pet breeding industry

Reading Time:2 minutes

Tourists along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade on September 3. Photo: Elson Li

Published: 11:30am, 23 Sep 2023

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification.

Since Hong Kong and the mainland resumed quarantine-free travel, the number of Hongkongers going to the mainland has skyrocketed. Hongkongers made 4.68 million trips across the border in July alone.

Meanwhile, our city’s food and beverage sector is suffering from having fewer tourists, with many locals spending their holidays and long weekends overseas rather than in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong, the shopping paradise, is becoming less attractive to mainland tourists. As such, the government has tightened its economic growth forecast from 3.5-5.5 per cent to 4-5 per cent.

While other destinations are using their unique attractions to reboot their tourism industries after Covid-19, Hong Kong seems to be lagging behind.

Some politicians have made patriotic point-scoring suggestions, saying Hong Kong should learn from mainland cities and use night bazaars to revitalise our nightlife. We also often hear of Hong Kong being compared to Shenzhen.