Only five of 15 food trucks under Hong Kong tourism plan have brought in HK$1 million in eight months
In another blow to scheme expected to attract visitors to the city, minister admits ‘cases of failure’
After high-stakes cook-off auditions, millions of dollars invested and a much-trumpeted roll-out across the city, only five of 15 businesses in the government’s food truck scheme have brought in HK$1 million in their first eight months.
The city’s minister for commerce revealed as much on Monday, and admitted failures in the scheme, which officials once hoped would help lift the tourism industry out of a slump.
On Monday morning, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah briefed the Legislative Council’s economic development panel on his bureau’s activity.
Lawmaker Wong Ting-kwong, who represents the import and export sector, asked if the government would relax the rules for businesses under the truck scheme.
Vendors have to meet stringent safety and hygiene requirements, adding to the difficulty for new players on the scene.