In this two-part series we take a look at Hong Kong’s efforts to boost its tourism industry. Part one examines the government’s moves to reinvent tourism with nine hotspot attractions and whether they will make a difference.

Tourist Jessie Wu was enthralled and swept up in nostalgia as she made her way through an exhibition that transported her to Hong Kong’s past.

Featuring a canopy of criss-crossing electricity cables, the visitor from mainland China paused at a shop that was both a hair salon and a restaurant, and an alleyway kitchen so realistic she could almost smell the fish balls.

The “Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey” exhibition has been attracting locals and tourists to its replica sets from the 2024 blockbuster martial arts film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.

The exhibition opened in May for a three-year run at Kowloon Walled City Park, the location of the densely populated enclave of haphazardly built shops and stacked homes notorious for its lawlessness before it was demolished in 1994.

“I wanted to come here after seeing the film,” said Wu, a biomedical professional in her forties and a regular visitor from Beijing.

“Those of us born in the 1980s on the mainland had a Hong Kong dream, but as I walked through the exhibition, I kept wondering, if I had lived here at that time, would I have survived?”

Turning the area into a tourist destination would draw mainland visitors, she added, especially those of her generation who had learned about Hong Kong from television series and films.

Kowloon City was one of nine tourism hotspots identified by a government working group in May for their potential to offer visitors experiences that go beyond shopping, eating and sightseeing.

Led by Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing, the working group recommended offering unique insights into Hong Kong’s culture, heritage and natural beauty, recognising that visitors’ tastes had changed.

Since the city reopened after the Covid-19 pandemic, visitors – especially mainlanders who make up three in four arrivals – have moved beyond the usual tourist attractions in search of an authentic Hong Kong in neighbourhoods and hidden corners of the city.

Aside from Kowloon City, the nine projects include efforts to promote hiking trails, Central district with its Mid-Levels escalator and small streets, visits to the factories of famous Hong Kong products, the former Yau Ma Tei police station and Victoria Park.

The working group’s list was also a response to a call last year by Beijing’s point man on city affairs, Xia Baolong, to turn every corner of Hong Kong into a potential attraction.

But some are asking not only if the nine hotspots will draw additional tourists, but also if more must be done to make them visitor-friendly, accessible and interesting enough for people to extend their stay.

Countering the ‘special forces visitors’

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has forecast about 49 million visitors this year, a 10th more than last year. In the first four months of this year, the city welcomed 16.07 million, including 12.05 million mainlanders.

Mainland China’s unstable economy and the relatively expensive Hong Kong dollar have been blamed for visitors moving from splurging on luxury goods to looking for cheap eats and memorable, inexpensive local experiences.

On social media platforms such as RedNote, users exchange tips for stretching their dollars, sharing strategies for success as “special forces visitors” – budget-conscious travellers who hit as many popular spots as possible in the shortest time, at the lowest cost.

The recommendations include skipping overnight hotel stays for “free accommodation” in the city’s public parks or 24-hour McDonald’s restaurants.

These new-style visitors, coupled with Hongkongers flocking across the border for leisure outings and to places such as Japan for short holidays, have been blamed for the city’s struggling tourism industry.

Retail sales fell for 14 months in a row before bucking the trend in May, with a 2.4 per cent year-on-year rise, according to official data.

Moon Yau Moon-yee, vice-chairman of the Tourism Industry Employees’ General Union, expressed optimism that the plans for the nine hotspots would make a difference.

“These projects have great potential to revitalise Hong Kong’s tourism and attract diverse visitors,” he said.

The city’s blend of East and West, particularly in its architecture, festivals and food culture, were key attractions he hoped the government would integrate into the plans and promote creatively.

Tours of Central, for example, could “showcase the city’s fusion of tradition and modernity” in its streets and buildings.

Yau said that the city also needed its equivalent of Taiwan’s bubble tea and Korean kimchi.

“Local delights such as milk tea, yuanyang [a drink combining coffee and tea], pineapple buns, siu mai steamed dumplings and egg tarts could become iconic foods for Hong Kong,” he said.

He called for collaboration between the government and the food and beverage industry to create events such as a “milk tea festival” or coupons for free milk tea.

Yau liked the idea of having a bazaar at Victoria Park, and suggested including stalls selling local snacks and unique handicrafts to draw not only visitors but also Hongkongers.

What was important, though, was promoting the hotspots through publicity drives and collaborations with social media influencers in key visitor markets.

“No matter how attractive these nine projects are, sufficient promotion is needed for people to know about them,” he said.

He added that the nine projects were a strong starting point, and hoped the government would “listen to public and industry feedback” to ensure that they would take off and succeed.

Economist Simon Lee Siu-po of the Shenzhen Finance Institute at the Chinese University of Hong Kong said he thought the nine projects could boost visitor numbers but were not enough to revive the industry and generate “good revenue”.

“They’re better than nothing, but they cannot make up for the sharp reduction in the retail and catering sectors,” he said. “Perhaps we need to compete for mega-events, [such as] high-end concerts, meetings, and exhibitions, which should stimulate overnight stays.”

He said travel between Hong Kong and the mainland had become so easy that fewer visitors might choose to stay in the city overnight.

Of the nine projects, the plan for the former Yau Ma Tei police station stood out for him. He suggested allowing visitors to wear police uniforms, especially those from colonial times, for photo opportunities and to learn about the city’s history.

More business ideas would help create new Hong Kong souvenirs such as miniature cityscape models of Central and Kowloon City.

Lee said it was also important to ensure that visitors had a good experience when they arrived, including when they had to clear immigration and customs checkpoints.

Student Wu Jing, 22, from Changsha in Hunan province, said she had visited the former Yau Ma Tei police station on a weekday after seeing a recommendation on RedNote, but was disappointed to find little more than a backdrop for selfies.

“I feel there are a lot of stories to be told about Hong Kong, if we look at the city’s history,” she said. “But I don’t see plaques giving tourists the brief history of a place, like in many places on the mainland.”

‘Pay attention to the details’

Lawmaker Adrian Pedro Ho King-hong of the New People’s Party said it was good that the nine projects catered to visitors’ different interests, but stressed that related services and facilities needed to be up to scratch too.

“The overall experience starts from the time visitors set off, not when they arrive at the attraction,” he said. “If transport and other supporting services are lacking, their enjoyment of these nine projects would be greatly reduced.”

He said the government would have to look at all manner of details, from the capacity of each place to how tickets were sold.

Ho was especially optimistic about the plans for Central, saying it was a neighbourhood that exemplified Hong Kong as a melting pot of cultures from the East and the West, with interesting places such as Man Mo Temple and antique shops.

He expressed confidence that the nine projects could boost Hong Kong’s economy and entice visitors to stay overnight.

Ho said one potential deterrent was that flights to the city cost more than to rival tourist locations in the region such as Singapore, and suggested negotiations with airlines to bring down fares.

Nightlife entrepreneur Allan Zeman, chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong Group, said simply identifying potential attractions was not enough; it was crucial to look into the way they were presented.

Factory visits could be a big draw, he said, noting that tours of the Tsingtao Brewery in Qingdao were a big success.

Planning similar visits to the Lee Kum Kee sauce factory or Kee Wah Bakery had to be “professionally done” to handle a constant flow of visitors without disrupting operations.

Zeman said visitor experiences had to be integrated seamlessly at the factories to provide a genuine understanding of production processes without visitors being a hindrance.

He was also concerned about accessibility to the industrial sites.

“Some of them are not really in tourist areas,” he said. “How am I getting there if I’m not taking a taxi?”

He said robust public transport links, or even dedicated bus services from central tourist hubs, would be “very, very important to make them easy to visit”.

Fanny Yeung Shuk-fun, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, said visits to factories, workshops and museums of the disciplined services would be most useful for the business of tour group operators.

By identifying the nine projects, she said, the government had removed barriers and allowed the tourism sector to design new products for visitors.

But more work was needed to make them succeed, such as ensuring the necessary amenities were available at factories and elements such as workshops for visitors and talks on history where suitable.

It was also necessary to promote the new attractions, such as by inviting overseas influencers.

She thought the nine hotspots chosen catered to both group and individual visitors and some were already popular. It was also helpful that most of the projects would be implemented within the year.