‘The world’s biggest welcome’ needs to be in it for the long haul
- The ambitious ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign sidesteps the political developments that have altered the perception of the city overseas
An advertising campaign intended to restore confidence in Hong Kong after months of civil unrest declared in 2019: “We will no doubt bounce back. We always do.” It has taken a long time.
Another bid to “relaunch Hong Kong” the following year highlighted the city’s dynamism, cosmopolitan lifestyle and direct access to the mainland. But the pandemic put paid to that. Sweeping travel curbs and social distancing rules soon rendered such claims meaningless. Visitors evaporated and the city became isolated.
Then, the national security law and political changes that followed hit Hong Kong’s international image. The city changed and so did perceptions of it. Now, with most Covid-19 restrictions lifted, Hong Kong is seeking to recover lost ground.
An ambitious “Hello Hong Kong” campaign was launched last week, with 700,000 free air tickets enticing visitors to the city. There will be free drinks and HK$100 (US$12.75) vouchers to spend. Promotional videos are showcasing the city’s attractions and 1,000 movers and shakers will be invited to visit. Adding substance to style, 250 “mega events” and more than 100 exhibitions are planned. This expensive, glitzy campaign promises much. Now, it must deliver.
The tourists will, in time, return. The free air tickets alone are expected to draw 1.5 million in six months. But this will only happen once the remaining requirements for them to take a Covid test and wear a mask are removed.
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One of the campaign’s many slogans is “Seeing is believing”. This cuts both ways. Hong Kong has much to offer those wanting to shop, eat, drink, or sightsee. But if the visitors don’t form a positive impression, the campaign will backfire.
The bid to restore the city’s international image is even more of a challenge. A task force has been set up to rebrand Hong Kong. It will be interesting to see what it comes up with.
Using “Hello Hong Kong” is appropriate, given that more than 113,000 residents (myself included) have said goodbye in the last year. Talent and investment is needed.
The campaign, not surprisingly, sidesteps the political developments that have altered perceptions of Hong Kong overseas. Almost everyone I meet in the UK knows something about recent events in the city. But their impressions are negative. When you say you come from Hong Kong, there are expressions of sadness, as if you have lost a loved one.
Last week, the Human Freedom Index, published by institutes in the US and Canada, put Hong Kong in 34th place for 2020 – it was 3rd in 2010. The report spoke of the city’s “descent into tyranny”. It is easy to scoff at such over-the-top claims. But these are the sort of perceptions the government is facing when it seeks to tell “great and true” Hong Kong stories.
The national security law and prosecution of protesters has dominated international headlines about the city. It is more a case of “see you in court” than “see you in Hong Kong”.
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The government needs to make a credible case if it is to continue to champion the city’s diversity, openness, dynamism and rule of law. Reliance on the same tired old rhetoric is counter productive. Officials should stop routinely dismissing criticism from overseas as “groundless smears” or “slanders”, no matter how misleading they consider it to be.
There is a need to engage, to discuss and to concede a few points. The political transformation has brought changes beyond simply ending the protests. That needs to be acknowledged. It is also not easy to “welcome foreign friends” from the West while branding their countries “hostile forces”.
The 2019 advertising campaign, amid the protests, expressed a “sincere wish” to discuss the city’s issues and problems, seeking common ground in a spirit of healing and reconciliation. These worthy objectives still need to be pursued.
It is great to see Hong Kong moving on from the pandemic and offering “the world’s biggest welcome ever”. But bouncing back will, this time, require being in it for the long haul.
