Hong Kong tourism bosses look to Sheung Wan’s arts scene to bring in a new kind of traveller
The city’s offering to tourists needs to diversify in the face of dwindling mainland visitor numbers
Hong Kong’s tourism promoter is turning to the local arts scene to attract visitors by highlighting the city’s artistic attractions in its promotional campaigns as shopping loses its charm because of the strong local currency.
The Tourism Board, tasked with diversifying an industry suffering dwindling mainland visitor numbers, will include galleries and street art attractions on Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan in its promotional campaigns. The board hopes art lovers, who are often richer than many other tourists, will boost consumption.
“This is very helpful for Hong Kong tourism,” said Raymond Huang, chief experience officer at online travel agency Klook, which provides art tours including visits to several galleries every weekend for both tourists and locals.
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“Hong Kong has more than 200 galleries. It is one of the major art transaction cities, but people don’t come to Hong Kong for the arts, which is very surprising,” Huang said.
Klook’s art tours, costing HK$200 per person, are growing in demand, with the number of participants up 30 to 40 per cent every year since the tours launched in 2014, Huang said.
Convinced of the potential to draw tourists, the tourism board teamed up with the online travel agency to include more art attractions, including street art displays, in the tours.
“There are increasing numbers of people with a growing interest in art,” said Mason Hung, general manager of event and product development at the board.
“Hollywood Road has a rich historical heritage,” he said, but hasn’t been fully discovered by tourists since many people held the perception that art tours were for wealthy people educated in the subject. Joining a tour with a guide would help eliminate any mystery however, Hung said.
With its creative street art scene, unique cafes and shops, historical buildings and less traffic, Hung said Hollywood Road was a perfect place for art lovers to wander.
“We need to improve Hong Kong’s services and tourism products at the same time though,” he said, so as to cater to the tastes of these higher-end visitors.
