Hong Kong tourism seeks revival as spending slumps
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 5 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s tourism industry has called for more experiential attractions and closer cross-border coordination after visitor spending dropped to HK$197.5 billion last year, far below pre-pandemic levels . Perry Yiu Pak-leung said the city must respond to changing travel patterns by giving tourists more reasons to stay longer and spend more beyond shopping .
Key Points
- Legislative Council research found visitor spending fell 44 per cent, from about HK$353 billion in 2018 to HK$197.5 billion last year .
- Perry Yiu Pak-leung, chairman of China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited and a lawmaker, said tourists now value experiences and in-depth exploration more .
- Spending per overnight visitor declined from HK$6,614 in 2018 to HK$5,503 last year, showing weaker per-capita tourism receipts .
- Spending per same-day visitor dropped more than 48 per cent, from HK$2,202 in 2018 to HK$1,139 last year .
- Hong Kong residents’ non-local expenditure rose 10 per cent from 2018 to HK$191.1 billion last year, narrowing the spending gap .
Why It Matters
The figures suggest Hong Kong cannot rely on its old shopping-driven tourism model and may need to pivot toward events, dining and multi-destination travel experiences . Yiu said external factors such as weather, airfares and transport costs are hard to control, making product diversification and stronger regional synergy more important for recovery .