‘Hong Kong Inc’ concept needed even as tourist numbers rocket, forum told
Speakers at Post’s Redefining Hong Kong forum say city struggling with global brand recognition while arts sector faces big financial challenges
New cultural and sports venues have helped to attract visitors, with tourist numbers for August hitting a post-Covid high, but the city needs a “Hong Kong Inc” movement to elevate its brand on the world stage, a forum has heard.
Speakers at the Redefining Hong Kong conference on culture, sports and tourism, hosted by the South China Morning Post on Monday, said that the city was still struggling with global brand recognition and faced major financial challenges in sustaining its arts sector.
They called for a unified effort where different entities, from government bureaus to the private sector, worked together to create a “Hong Kong Inc” concept.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui revealed the latest arrival figures at the forum and said the city remained on track to reach 49 million visitors for the full year – a 10 per cent increase on 2024.
“For August alone, we actually welcomed 5.15 million visitors, a 16 per cent growth year on year,” Law said.
The figure broke the post-pandemic monthly record of 4.7 million visitors set in January this year.