“Twisted perceptions” of Hong Kong have added to the city’s challenges in bringing back long-haul visitors, the head of the Tourism Board has said, pointing to ongoing flight capacity struggles and changed spending habits as further pain points. One industry leader also said on Friday the “devastating” retail situation could continue well into next year, but measures such as the recently increased shopping tax threshold for mainland Chinese tourists could make the city more competitive. Tourism Board executive director Dane Cheng Ting-yat and Hong Kong Retail Management Association chairwoman Annie Tse Yau On-yee were both speaking on a panel at the Post’s Redefining Hong Kong conference.
“We are facing a more challenging situation than a lot of the other places, and it’s not just about Covid,” Cheng said. “It’s a lot of twisted perceptions about Hong Kong, and that is the thing I think is most difficult for us to deal with, particularly in the long-haul markets.” But he said those who did make the journey enjoyed their stay.
“Visitors are happy from what they’ve seen and when they visit ...
The important thing is to get them to Hong Kong. “That includes [key opinion leaders], media, and a lot of people. “Get them to come to Hong Kong, then they will say, ‘Oh, fantastic, Hong Kong is not like what I thought.
’” He said a shortage of flight capacity between the city and long-haul markets added to the difficulty in attracting travellers, as .
