Policy Address 2024: Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots formed to expand specialty tourism

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the setup of a working group to  develop hotspots in his policy address today, as the government tries to boost a flagging economy.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board announced earlier that the visitor arrivals reached 21.1 million from January to June this year. In contrast, about 30.6 million visitors arrived in the first half of 2018.

"We will develop Hong Kong into a premier tourism destination through innovative thinking and leveraging our rich and unique resources, such as Victoria Harbour, outlying islands, cultures and cuisine," Lee said. "It will help to instil the concept of 'tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong.'"

The government will publish more details in an upcoming blueprint, Lee said, with a focus on several areas designed to enhance tourism in Hong Kong, including ecotourism in South Lantau.

Lee also announced measures to attract visitors from the Middle East. These include compiling a list of halal restaurants and getting commercial venues to provide prayer rooms.

This comes as Saudi Arabia plans to establish an economic zone and logistics hub in China to strengthen ties between the two states announced during a meeting in September.

Lee also emphasised the coordination of organising mega events in the city.

Half of mainland tourists said they enjoyed “getting close to nature” and “tasting local snacks,” according to a survey of 287 visitors by mainland questionnaire platform Wenjuanxing.

Lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung said that Hong Kong’s tourism model used to place too much emphasis on "commercialisation" and was committed to maintaining its reputation as a "shopping paradise," but according to the research, this is no longer a strong promotion to attract mainland tourists

“Tourists will be more interested in some in-depth tourism now, which means learning more about local culture and featured scenery. It is hoped that the government can create, launch or improve new attractions based on local cultural scenery, such as Hong Kong’s Geopark,” he said.

“With this working group, more unique routes and attractions in Hong Kong can be developed,” he said.

Ambition Travel manager Kenji Tsang Kam-hay said that the government is “on the right track” in further developing local specialty and in-depth tour initiatives.

Ambition Travel’s two-day “Hong Kong Urban Legends” tour was among six winners in a creative itinerary contest co-organised by the government and the Travel Industry Council in March.

The tour consists of locations filled with legends, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Bride’s Pool and the High Street haunted house.

Tsang said that he noted an increasing interest in local legends and tales among local and international travellers since the re-opening of the city’s borders in early 2023.

“We specialise in storytelling, uncovering the rich history of places people may think they know but don’t truly understand. We want to make use of our expertise and knowledge to give visitors a glimpse into the history of several attractions shrouded with legend and myth,” he said.

Tsang said the idea of specialty and in-depth tours is to provide travellers with new experiences and take them to places they may have never heard of.

“We cannot rely on shopping entirely as times are changing. The city has many places that many may have yet to discover. With further initiatives to enhance local tourism, we could provide travellers with a new view of Hong Kong,” Tsang said.