Hong Kong pins hopes for tourism reset on China's pandas

[ad_1] Hong Kong is pinning its hopes on two newly arrived pandas to spice up tourism spending within the metropolis, which just lately dropped a number of locations in a world listing of vacationer locations, and increase the flagging economic system.

Town, which just lately fired its high tourism and journey officers with out giving a purpose, now ranks twenty first within the Euromonitor Prime 100 Metropolis Locations Index 2024, in contrast with seventeenth in 2023.

Like the remainder of China, Hong Kong’s economic system has struggled to bounce again within the wake of the three years of zero-COVID restrictions and journey bans.

Town even handed out free airplane tickets in a bid to spice up customer numbers after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

But all is clearly not nicely within the metropolis that was as soon as recognized for its vibrant night-life, iconic harbor, packed eating places and bustling malls and markets.

Chief Govt John Lee final week fired Tradition, Sports activities and Tourism Secretary Kevin Yeung and Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung.

Now, he appears to be hoping that big pandas An An and Ke Ke will appeal to each patriotic guests from mainland China and worldwide vacationers to spend their money and increase the native economic system.

Lee attended a lavish “Large Panda Greeting Ceremony” on the HK$498- (US$64-) per-person Ocean Park theme park panda attraction alongside Zhou Ji, a high ruling Chinese language Communist Celebration official answerable for Hong Kong, on Saturday.

“Hong Kong is honored to be conserving the biggest variety of big pandas exterior of mainland China,” Lee advised the gathering. “These big pandas ... display the Central Authorities’s assist and look after Hong Kong.”

RELATED STORIES

Hong Kong at hand out half one million free air tickets in bid to develop customer numbers

Born in captivity, bred for diplomacy: The darkish aspect of China’s ‘pandanomics’

China calls on Hong Kong tycoons to assist kickstart nationwide economic system

Panda diplomacy, North Korean troops in Russia, China bans Halloween: Insider #18

With Rosanna Legislation now within the driving seat as Secretary for Tradition, Sports activities and Tourism, the federal government has additionally scattered 2,500 sculptures of pandas in several poses throughout town in a sequence of “exhibitions” it phrases the Panda Go! Fest.

It is going to public sale particular editions of the pandas off for charity with musician Pharrell Williams, actor Huang Bo, and supermodel Du Juan as visitor stars, based on the official web site.

Some 2,500 sculptures of big pandas are on show on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong on Dec. 7, 2024, as a part of Panda Go! Fest HK. Legislation advised reporters that 145,000 individuals visited Hong Kong on Saturday from mainland China, 28.5% greater than that every day common for November.

But authorities statistics present that in a single day visits didn’t additionally spike, suggesting that these guests have been largely day-trippers, and didn’t keep lengthy.

Mainland Chinese language guests sometimes spent round HK$5,100 (US$656) a head on journeys to Hong Kong within the first half of this yr -- barely lower than the HK$5,800 (US$746) they spent within the second half of 2023, and much beneath the HK$7,000 (US$900) they spent in 2018.

However day-trippers eat far lower than that, spending a mean of HK$1,300 (US$167) a head within the first half of 2024, in contrast with HK$2,400 (US$308) in 2018.

Fewer mainland consumers

Retailer homeowners within the New Territories city of Sheung Shui, near the border with mainland China, stated there are nonetheless some mainland consumers -- who stand out as a result of they sometimes convey trolleys to cart their hauls again over the border -- on the streets lately due to a multiple-entry allow rolled out by the authorities that noticed 30,000 individuals cross into Hong Kong final week.

However they’re coming in far fewer numbers than earlier than the pandemic, and so they’re spending far much less, enterprise homeowners stated.

“I primarily come her to purchase toddler system for my children, as a result of the standard management might be higher right here,” a client from Shenzhen who gave the surname Li advised RFA Cantonese on Sunday.

Two different consumers stated they got here for lip balms and different skincare merchandise, that are barely cheaper in Hong Kong.

Individuals go to the enormous panda An An as he makes his debut look in Hong Kong, Dec. 8, 2024. However consumers advised RFA Cantonese that they don’t come that usually. “That is my first time because the pandemic,” a client from Shenzhen stated. Two others stated they arrive about as soon as a month.

It’s a far cry from the times when bulk merchants thronged the streets with their trolleys, shopping for up jade and gold. The jewellery retailer in the identical road remained empty on Sunday afternoon.

“It’s not likely serving to our business,” a gold retailer proprietor surnamed Cheung advised Radio Free Asia.

Pharmacy homeowners stated their turnover has additionally plummeted, with one estimating it at one-tenth of pre-pandemic ranges.

Tourism chief’s departure

In the meantime, within the absence of official touch upon the sacking of former tourism chief Kevin Yeung, Hong Kongers have been left speculating on the explanations for his early departure.

A school scholar who gave solely the surname Kwun for worry of reprisals stated many imagine the authorities have been unimpressed by the last-minute cancelation of a drone present deliberate for Victoria Harbor in September to mark Mid-Autumn Pageant.

“Kevin Yeung didn’t do a great job with the drone present, which acquired canceled for no purpose on the day it was speculated to occur,” Kwun stated.

Authorities stated on the time that intense photo voltaic exercise had interfered with the navigational gear controlling the drones.

A scholar nurse who gave solely the surname Lee for worry of reprisals stated Yeung’s makes an attempt to spice up Hong Kong’s nightlife had additionally fallen flat.

“He didn’t do a lot to advertise native occasions or nightlife, and he didn’t achieve boosting Hong Kong’s economic system, which has really gotten worse,” Lee stated.

“I don’t assume anybody in authorities is doing a lot about it,” Lee stated, including that he has scant hope that Yeung’s alternative shall be any higher.

Bar employees members stand in the midst of the highway to advertise their bars and eating places in Lan Kwai Fong, a well-liked nightlife vacation spot in Hong Kong, Oct. 3, 2023. Throughout Yeung’s tenure, Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal remained largely empty of ships, whereas Inter Miami soccer legend Lionel Messi didn't end up to play in a much-vaunted exhibition match in February.

Yeung was additionally held to account for failing to roll out a authorities “blueprint” to revitalize the humanities, tradition and inventive industries in time for the Chief Govt’s coverage handle in October.

Yeung finally launched the measures, which he stated aimed to “improve the enchantment of Hong Kong’s tradition ... and additional consolidate Hong Kong’s place as an East-meets-West heart for worldwide cultural exchanges” on Nov. 26.

Whereas Lee declined to say why Yeung and Lam have been fired, he did reward their successors Rosanna Legislation and Mable Chan for his or her “management, articulation abilities, and in addition their proactiveness.”

“That is precisely what I want within the years to come back, to make sure that we are going to reap the most effective outcomes,” Lee advised journalists on Dec. 5, including that he wished to regain time misplaced as a result of pandemic and the 2019 protests.