Hong Kong is struggling to attract mainland Chinese tourists while its residents are increasingly travelling to mainland China for leisure, creating an imbalance in tourism flows. Having tourism being one of the traditional pillar industries, Hong Kong has historically been a popular destination for mainland Chinese tourists, especially for luxury shopping. Yet, the current situation is that more and more Hong Kong residents are frequently travelling to mainland cities due to lower costs and better perceived value, while mainland Chinese visitors are not returning to Hong Kong as readily as expected after the pandemic.
To start with, Hong Kong tourism officials are not taking the initiative in promoting Hong Kong’s attractions. They did not launch any targeted marketing campaigns in China to raise awareness of what Hong Kong has to offer. Mainland China tourists prefer experiencing authentic tours in Hong Kong over shopping for luxury goods. Yet, the Hong Kong government only relied on The Tourism Board to post introduction videos in Hong Kong, namely the Hello, Hong Kong campaign. Also, the Hong Kong Government did not grasp the opportunity to promote Hong Kong’s features right after the pandemic restrictions in other countries have been abolished, when tourists had the urge to travel. The Hong Kong Government was not active enough in its policies attracting tourists as it mainly focused promoting itself within Hong Kong, but not reaching out to mainland China tourists by different media, such as posting advertisements, of its own accord, and that its restrictions on crossing borders were cancelled too behindhand, when tourists have already lost their desire to visit Hong Kong.
What is more, Hong Kong tourism officials were not proactive enough in the relaxation of immigration control points’ opening hours. As an example, one of the most commonly used land boundary control points, Lo Wu, only opens from 6:30 a.m. to midnight. However, many mainland China tourists tend to experience the nightlife of Hong Kong, especially after the ‘Night Vibes Hong Kong’ events have been introduced. Tourists would likely stay until or even after midnight to enjoy their time in Hong Kong to the fullest, but the early closing hours of Lo Wu Immigration Control Point in turn discourage tourists from staying late and consuming in Hong Kong, as they would have to hurry back to the mainland before the border closes. Although some may argue that the limited opening hours of the Immigration Control Points works as an incentive, that the tourists would stay tor another night and leave until the other day, this would not be friendly for those who would have to work the other morning. It is crystal clear that Hong Kong Tourism Officials were not active in making restrictions more convenient for visitors, discouraging mainland tourists from spending their time in Hong Kong.
In responding to the problems which Hong Kong is facing, various measures can be implemented in a bid to boost Hong Hong’s tourism.
First off, the government is suggested to launch marketing campaigns in mainland, China. This could be implemented in two parts, with the government first posting advertisements in metro stations, easily accessed by citizens. The government could showcase what unique experiences tourists could undergo in Hong Kong, such as having a taste of traditional egg tarts, having a glimpse of the glistening Victoria Harbour, or browsing various goods at the Ladies’ Market. If the government put emphasis on advertising directly in mainland China instead of being passive and only updating the newest events in Hong Kong on their website, requiring tourists to visit the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s website by themselves, things would be easier for tourists, that they could easily acquire information about what Hong Kong has to offer. Making good use of social media which mainland citizens use often, including Weibo and Xiaohongshu, is also effective in promoting Hong Kong’s positive image to them. In that case, when more citizens have interest in visiting Hong Kong, it could create a ripple effect as they would invite more friends to travel to Hong Kong with them. By this, it is certain that the city’s tourism would be boosted.
Besides that, supporting traditional shops could preserve Hong Kong’s native characteristics, a distinguishing feature that tourists are fond of. The government could consider providing subsidies to historical, individual shops to support their rental expenditures, reducing their financial burden, also helping them cope with the escalating rents and operating costs. The government could also reduce the tax for the shops, reducing avoidable expenditures and preventing the phenomenon of easy closures. On the whole, subsidies provided by the government are vital in supporting individual shops, maintaining a diverse variety of shops with a mix of businesses. The policy could be followed by both intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations hosting community activities with historical shops in an effort to promote them. The shops in the same district could form zones, arranging stamp collecting activities and price rebates for customers who buy products in one of the shops, that they could enjoy a price deduction when purchasing from shops in the same zone. Such activity not only acquires an advertising effect, but also increases tourists’ interest in visiting Hong Kong as they could chase the authentic experience they have been longing for. This policy is surely able to preserve local shops and attract tourists, improving the tourism industry.
In a nutshell, Hong Kong tourism officials were being too passive in their efforts to attract mainland tourists as they did not do enough to promote Hong Kong’s unique attractions right after pandemic restrictions in other countries have been loosened and not being active in relaxing the immigration points’ opening hours. Yet, the problem of Hong Kong businesses being left high and dry could be solved if the government advertised Hong Kong directly in mainland China, and helped traditional shops, preserving the local heritage. Hong Kong is capable of attracting tourists and will become as prosperous as before the pandemic.
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Author : Ho Yue Wing
News Commentary Competition – The 3rd runner up of Junior Form
St. Mary’s Canossian College