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Destinations knownWhy tourists should continue to visit Hong Kong

Those arriving in the city over the next few months can take advantage of attractive air fares and hotel rates

They might have to avoid certain areas at weekends, but the same goes for many cities less safe than our own

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Selfie-taking at Central Harbourfront persists, even as the protests rage on. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 8:30am, 4 Sep 2019Updated: 8:37am, 4 Sep 2019

Despite official assurances via the lacklustre Brand Hong Kong website that “Hong Kong remains a welcoming city for tourists and investors, and a safe place for travellers from around the world”, scenes of violence broadcast from the SAR’s streets, stations and even airport have done much to shape global perceptions in recent months.

Type “Is Hong Kong …” into Google, and many of the search engine’s autocomplete predictions, at the time of writing, pertain to the city’s safety and airport operations – as well as to whether the tap water is potable. Hong Kong is going to need more than a lifeless landing page to save its tourism industry.

On August 30, the Hong Kong Tourism Board announced that arrivals for July were down 4.8 per cent year on year while the number of tourists from mainland China had declined by 5.5 per cent. According to a recent survey conducted by the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, to which many travel industry unions are affiliated, the number of mainland visitors booking tours to Hong Kong has fallen dramatically since the protests began, in June.

Indeed, Bloomberg reported last month that travel agents in certain Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, have been barred from helping solo travellers apply for the permits needed to travel to Hong Kong. Those wishing to visit now have to appear to officials in person so that their identity can be verified: an apparent attempt to keep a closer eye on citizens who come to Hong Kong for their holidays.

All of which has resulted in a reduction in hotel occupancy, with some hospitality workers forced to take unpaid leave, and a slump in retail sales. Forecasts are even worse for August, following protests at Hong Kong International Airport that caused the cancellation of almost 1,000 flights, costing the city’s aviation industry an estimated HK$600 million (US$76.5 million). “Preliminary figures show a 30 per cent decline in the number of visitor arrivals in the first half of August,” said the tourism board, adding that bookings were down for September and October, too.

Empty shops at Elements, in West Kowloon. Hong Kong’s summer of civil unrest has taken its toll on the number of tourists visiting the territory and thus retail sales. Photo: May Tse