Opinion

Hong Kong needs to redefine its tourism strategy

For decades, tourism promotion has been opportunistic, riding on planned events year after year

But things have changed, and Hong Kong now needs a mindset shift and a consolidated plan to bring back visitors and boost economic growth

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Tourists pose at Yick Cheong Building (aka Monster Building) in Quarry Bay on May 4. The consultation for the Tourism Blueprint 2.0 that ends in mid-June should look in particular at supporting the digitising of tourist experiences. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Agnes Tsang is head of external affairs for Rosewood Hotel Group and Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, a former senior researcher at the Central Policy Unit of the HKSAR government and an English news journalist in Hong Kong.

Published: 9:30am, 2 Jun 2024Updated: 10:18am, 2 Jun 2024

Without having to do much heavy lifting, Hong Kong has been welcoming tourists from all over the world for a long time, and predominantly from mainland China in recent years. As part of a decades-old mechanism, our tourism promotion has been mostly opportunistic, riding on planned events year after year. But such efforts, in the absence of a consolidated strategy, are no longer yielding the results that meet the city’s need for economic growth.

Travel patterns around the world, particularly in mainland China, have shifted. Online media exerts a good deal of influence and demand is evolving, with mature, high-spending travellers looking for more curated and immersive experiences. To catch up, Hong Kong needs a mindset shift to redefine how it approaches tourism and what success looks like. It needs a consolidated strategy to promote the city as a destination catering to specific markets.

President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to France highlighted the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, which is being marked by the inaugural Franco-Chinese Year of Cultural Tourism. The event is a reminder of the importance of cultural connections to improve our understanding of what audiences desire and to add weight to the city’s relationships.