Welcome mat for all as Hong Kong finally finds its tourist appeal again
It has taken a while since the Covid-19 pandemic for Hong Kong to reassert its tourist appeal. There is no doubt that it has after the mainland's Labour Day 'golden week' holiday, with the total number of visitors during the five days reaching about 1.1 million, up 22 per cent on the same period in 2024.
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Thankfully, this is reflected in a widely reported improvement in the retail and restaurant sectors. The cross-border exodus of Hong Kong residents was considerably greater, but that has come to be expected and makes the city's appeal to visitors from the mainland and beyond even more important to its economy.
Inbound trips from the mainland still fell short of the number before the pandemic in 2019. The gap is closing, but the experience of the five days shows this should not be taken for granted. The market is changing and preferences are not necessarily reflected in big spending. Hong Kong must be mindful of the need to extend a broad welcome mat to visitors.
That is also the message from Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who says the city should welcome all types of tourists irrespective of how much they spend.
Tourism is a pillar of our economy. Lee is therefore right to say that the image of Hong Kong as a city that welcomes tourists is very important.
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The reality now is that there are high- and low-end travellers. The latter are not to be found in upscale hotels and restaurants. But they are important to the mix and instrumental in opening up a wider range of tourist experiences that explores local culture and tradition.
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