Hong Kong’s status as shopping paradise is fading. Can it bank on Cantonese food to entice tourists?
- Tourists say local delicacies remain good reason to visit city, but restaurants can still make improvements
- Residents, business leaders and government are rethinking what makes city stand out as visitors slowly begin to return after end of Covid rules
Hong Kong is losing its global reputation as a shopping paradise, but its Cantonese food still gives the city a distinct advantage over rivals in the crowded Asian tourism market, visitors from mainland China and overseas have said.
Restaurants could still make improvements however, they told the Post on Saturday. They called for more English menus and wider digital payment coverage, while also noting Hongkongers’ Mandarin was getting better, along with attitudes towards service.
“The advantages of Hong Kong as a shopping paradise have gradually disappeared, but the city’s unique characteristics, including its food, have remained a main attraction to me, for which I will come back again,” said Linco Chen, a 39-year-old clerk from Shanghai who was making a three-day visit with her husband.
Residents, business leaders and the government alike are rethinking what makes the city stand out in the Asia tourism market as visitors slowly begin to return following the end of all Covid-19 restrictions earlier this year. For many, the numbers and dollars spent are worryingly low.
According to the Tourism Board, the city welcomed 1.46 million arrivals in February, of whom 774,890 stayed overnight, including 57,535 from distant markets. By comparison, 65 million tourists came to Hong Kong in 2018, with those staying overnight spending on average HK$6,614 (US$785).
Hong Kong received 144,419 visitors from the mainland and 66,334 from elsewhere between Wednesday, a national public holiday marking the Ching Ming Festival, and the start of the Easter holiday on Friday.