News Analysis: Hong Kong steps up effort to stem tourist drain

The decline in tourism-related statistics in Hong Kong since this summer has prompted the region' s government and sector to pan out strategies to win visitors back.

According to the latest data provided by the government, the business receipts of the tourism, convention and exhibition services of Hong Kong in the second quarter of 2015 saw a year-on- year decrease of 4.2 percent. A notable drop of 10.9 percent in accommodation services industry receipts was recorded.

The total number of overnight visitor arrival to Hong Kong in the first half of 2015 slid 3.8 percent, compare to the same period last year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board statistics revealed.

Attractions including Hong Kong Disneyland, The Peak, Madame Tussauds museum were not spared amid the predicament, with all of them recorded over 10 percent drop of visitors during June to August comparing to the same period of last year.

Vivian Lee Ling-fung, Sales and Marketing Executive Director of Hong Kong Ocean Park, said since the economy in peripheral regions was not bright, together with the lowered exchange rate of RMB, fewer visitors were coming to Hong Kong, which, in turn, affected to park's number of visitors.

Ocean Park saw a year-on-year 15 percent fall during July to August, with the number of mainland visitors dropping the most.

Unlike in the past when people had to wait in long queues to get access to the rides, visitors now found the waiting time as short as 20 minutes or even less, according to Xinhua reporters' observation.

The number of mainland tour group has drastically dropped this summer and most of the time there were only several people at the queue, a staff member who was on duty at the Raging River told Xinhua.

Analyzing the reasons of the decrease in visitors, Hong Kong Legislative Council member Yiu Si-wing said, apart from peripheral economic environment and the lack of tourism resources in Hong Kong, the act of anti-parallel traders was also to blame, has created an image that Hong Kong was no longer a hospitable city.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said earlier this month that he did not want to see any violence against tourists, and would not condone any actions which hurt Hong Kong's reputation as a tourist city.

He said tourism was important for Hong Kong, especially in creating job opportunities for many at the grassroots level, adding that the government has spared no effort in promoting Hong Kong tourism overseas and on the mainland.

Leung will visit Jakarta from Sept. 16 to 18, attending promotional activities presented by the Trade Development Council and the Tourism Board of Hong Kong.

Some of the famous attractions in Hong Kong are striving to reverse the situation. Ocean Park has geared up to launch new promotions and attract visitors from emerging markets. Halloween Bash would be their highlight event in October, expecting to draw about a million visitors.

Ocean Park deputy chief executive Matthias Li Sing-chung said they would introduce a string of new rides, which could help strengthen the park's position as one of the top attractions across the region.

Besides, the park would continue to increase its number of attractions and make use of different marketing strategies to cater the need of different consumption groups, Li added.

Hong Kong Disneyland, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, is also about to present visitors with brand new attractions. Iron Man Experience, topped out in August, will open in late 2016 as part of a new Marvel-themed area of the park. The Disney Explorers Lodge, a new 750-room hotel is slated to open in early 2017.

Hong Kong Disneyland's Managing Director Andrew Kam Min-ho said following the celebration of its 10th anniversary, the park would intensify sales and marketing promotion in 20 countries and cities in Asia to further expand the park's market and push ahead with Hong Kong tourism development.

Yiu suggested that Hong Kong should have its own tourism products as it lacks impressive tourism resources apart from Ocean Park and Disneyland. The government should map out a comprehensive plan in this regard and reinforce promotion.

"There will be many large scale attractions in the future, such as Kai Tak Development area in Kowloon City will turn into Kai Tak Fantasy, a recreational place, while outlying island Lantau can become a tourism island upon completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai- Macao Bridge," the legislator said.

Differnt places in Hong Kong could be developed into areas with their own characteristics, which would help to add attractiveness to regular visitors, he added. Endi