Motion on “Polishing Hong Kong’s tourism brand”
President, the development of the tourism industry is a major concern worldwide. Governments of various places are making their best efforts to compete for visitors. The prosperity of tourism also has a bearing on the international reputation and economic growth of a region. As one of the four traditional pillar industries, the tourism industry is of great significance to the economic growth and employment protection in Hong Kong.
The tourism industry has been hard hit by the COVID-19 epidemic in the past few years. According to the statistics of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (“HKTB”), the tourism industry accounted for 3.6% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Production) in 2019, but dropped to 0.1% in 2021. The number of people employed in the tourism industry accounted for 6.0% of the total employed population in 2019, but dropped to 0.6% in 2021. Despite the resumption of normal travel in early 2023, the recovery of the tourism industry is still facing enormous challenges in the new environment. A new mindset is needed in order for the tourism industry to rebound and resume its pulling effect on economic growth. I thank Mr YANG Wing-kit for proposing this motion today to urge the Government to formulate a comprehensive tourism policy, and I support the motion.
Hong Kong is an international hub for cultural exchanges. I believe that focusing on our unique local resources and maximizing our advantages will help Hong Kong stand out amidst fierce competition. Since the start of the Year of the Dragon, as the Secretary mentioned just now, more than 1.25 million Mainland visitors came to Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year Golden Week. The fireworks display on the second day of the Chinese New Year was the peak for the arrival of Mainland visitors. There were 185 000 arrivals on the third day of the Chinese New Year alone. Festive activities such as the night parade, the fireworks display, Chinese New Year horse racing and the Chinese New Year Cup are important reasons for visitors to choose to spend the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong. These activities have enabled visitors to experience a unique new year atmosphere in Hong Kong.
In addition to festive activities, international competitions such as rugby sevens, marathon and tennis tournaments, or even mega events such as concerts of famous singers, can bring huge economic benefits to Hong Kong. However, the experience of Inter Miami CF’s visit to Hong Kong is a reminder to the SAR Government that it should pay more attention to the gate-keeping of events and activities. The qualifications of the event organizers and relevant partners is the first gate. It should also make contingency plans to minimize the negative impacts that may be caused by unforeseen circumstances. By making good use of well-delivered featured events to create a strong cultural and festive atmosphere, Hong Kong may become a famous tourism brand in the new competitive environment.
Secondly, visitors do post their opinions and comments on social media platforms and share their travel experiences. These so-called “post-travel reviews” have a huge impact on the image of a region and on its attractiveness to potential visitors. One of the reasons for the success of the tourism industry of northeastern China in this past winter is that the local cultural and tourism bureau has been proactive and receptive. After some travellers reflected on social media platforms that unlicensed hire cars in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province charged excessive fares and that toilets were insufficient, the local government immediately took follow-up actions by building additional toilets overnight. All these are worthy of learning by our government departments.
Tourism is essentially a service industry, and the word-of-mouth effect plays a significant role. Listening to, taking on board and responding to visitors’ views in a timely fashion can, on the one hand, help to identify any shortcomings and strive for excellence and, on the other hand, enable visitors to have a pleasant experience, thus forming a virtuous cycle.
With health concept taking root, hiking tourism has become very popular. Hong Kong’s unique hiking trails and natural scenery have great appeal to visitors. Local country parks have a long history of development, but they originally serve to protect the nature and provide recreational and outdoor education facilities for the public. However, if the existing hiking trails are to be used as tourist attractions, they will not be able to cope with the relatively large visitor flow because of the lack of targeted planning, slipshod management, and insufficient infrastructure such as public toilets and supply stations.
Our neighbour Shenzhen is also well-known for its natural parks. The four-km-long red bridge has made the Hongqiao Park famous on the Internet. The horticultural display in the Lianhuashan Park creates different sceneries of the four seasons. The SAR Government is preparing to establish the Robin’s Nest Country Park to connect the Shenzhen Wutong Shan National Forest Park. In building an ecological corridor that runs through Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the Government should draw reference from the new management ideas of Shenzhen country parks and develop green tourism with Hong Kong characteristics, which can potentially open up a new horizon for Hong Kong’s tourism.
President, making proper planning on tourism afresh can help polish Hong Kong’s tourism brand, enhance visitors’ travel experience and enable them to truly enjoy eating, staying, sightseeing, shopping and having fun.
Therefore, I support Mr YANG Wing-kit’s motion. I so submit.