Tourism leaders have welcomed a new smash hit comedy film set in Hong Kong, saying it could boost the city's flagging tourism sector. Mainland film Lost in Hong Kong - the final instalment of a trilogy charting the exploits of two bumbling tourists - made more than US$100 million worldwide in its opening weekend, a box office record for Chinese films. It is the follow-up to the 2012 surprise hit Lost in Thailand , which prompted a spike in tourists to Chiang Mai. Hong Kong tourist insiders are hoping it will do the same here. "Anything about Hong Kong will definitely help tourism, especially when you put it in a film - it's soft promotion," said the executive director of the Travel Industry Council, Joseph Tung Yao-chung, who lamented that tourism numbers were down owing to more favourable exchange rates in other Asian countries. Gearing up for an influx in mainland tourists, Chinese operators are collaborating with local tourist attractions to offer packages for film buffs. "Since early September, when the film began to show on the mainland, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has collaborated with sky100 [in the International Commerce Centre], one of the attractions featured in the film, in rolling out special travel packages through more than 40 national and regional travel agents and online booking websites," said a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The star-studded romp directed by Xu Zheng showcases iconic features of the SAR, including shots of Victoria Harbour and madcap taxi dashes through narrow streets. But those wishing to actually watch Lost in Hong Kong in the city might be disappointed to learn that no major cinemas are currently screening the comedy. Film expert Gina Marchetti of the University of Hong Kong said this was testament to the separateness of the Hong Kong and mainland markets. "Hong Kong has its own identity as a commercial market not just in film but in all aspects of business," she said, adding that China's "huge" market was attracting Hong Kong investors.
