Hong kong must "act now" to revive tourism industry

Hong Kong must "act now", experts are warning, to revive its tourism indsutry.

The number of overseas visitors to the city state fell 4 per cent year-on-year in September 2015 to 4.5 million, according to figures, as Hong Kong becomes too dependent upon mainland tourists, who make up almost 80 per cent of the total.

Lawmaker Yiu Si-wing says the government should focus on promoting cultural tourism to draw visitors looking for more than just shops and food.

"These measures are low cost, but they have a long-lasting impact. There's no need to build a new theme park that costs billions of dollars," he tells the SCMP.

His comments arrive as Shanghai is developing its own Disneyland, something that could overshadow Hong Kong's own attractions.

Hong Kong, meanwhile, is work on a HK$4.1 billion project: the East Kowloon Cultural Centre. The building is expected to be completed by 2021, offering artistic spaces and heritage sites in a boost to Hong Kong's cultural landscape. By 2020, major venues, including musics and theatres, are planned to be open to the public, while the expansion of the Museum of Art, next to the Cultural Centre, is set for completion by 2017.

"Hong Kong must think about the real attraction of the city," adds Si-wing. "The government must act now."

Oscar Ho Hing-kay, a university associate professor of practice in cultural management, adds: "You must offer them something that is not available anywhere else. This government has no sensibility. Just look at what we have missed out on Bruce Lee."