Opinion | Hong Kong can move onward and upward, or backward and downward – it’s our choice

I attended the annual performance of the School of Dance of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts last week. The theme was onward and upward and the presentation was interesting and very dynamic.

It was pleasing to see so many young local artists striving for excellence. They were trying to be innovative, moving away from classical performance into something contemporary and the coming together of East and West in a multitude of ways.

The reaction from the audience might have been mixed but their diligent efforts should certainly be applauded. Hong Kong needs to have more creative and diverse talents, not only in the arts but many other areas.

The development of Hong Kong has been disappointing in the last few years as it has been drifting along and there is a real fear that it is going nowhere and is on a downward slope.

Short-sightedness and self-interested behaviour have permeated many parts of Hong Kong and done much damage. For example, the recent decline in mainland tourist arrivals and the closure of some jewellery shops and drug stores are seen as a crisis rather than an opportunity to rectify an abnormal situation and uneven growth in the past decade.

Can’t we seize the opportunity to develop something healthier and more sustainable? The tourism sector wants to restore a scheme to allow the unlimited entry of mainland visitors, putting it at odds with the local community, which has been adversely affected by the recent influx.

At least the government has made it clear that it is not in favour of such a move and that improving our capacity to handle tourists should be the priority. The number of mainland visitors increased by 10 per cent from 330,000 to 360,000 over the recent holiday but the number of tours decreased substantially. It was a wake-up call that quality and experience are what make Hong Kong special.