Opinion | How digital technology can make 2022 the year tourism returns to Hong Kong
- With borders still closed, Hong Kong can turn to digital marketing to export its unique culture to the world, following in the footsteps of South Korea’s successful K-wave
In the midst of a pandemic, tourism seems like a remote concept. Yet as 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover, it is a year in which the city can share its cultural assets with the world and reignite the global passion for tourism – particularly cultural tourism – by allowing people to experience Hong Kong from afar using digital technology.
According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, in cultural tourism a visitor seeks “to learn, discover, experience and consume the tangible and intangible cultural attractions or products in a tourism destination”. These can encompass a wide range of fields from arts and architecture and culinary heritage, to value systems, beliefs and traditions.
Hong Kong’s metropolitan lifestyle and East-meets-West social fabric remains globally unique. Country parks, Chinese temples, seafood markets, dense city life and world-class entertainment infrastructure are all within an hour’s reach from one another. The West Kowloon Cultural District, a vibrant hub featuring local and international musical and artistic talent, has raised the city’s cultural profile further.
The outlook is promising, but we must also look beyond infrastructure and events. In the digital age, we need to be savvy in promoting cultural content to make our strengths known to the world.
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