Hong Kong hopes for recovery as Covid-19 recedes

South Africa News News

Hong Kong hopes for recovery as Covid-19 recedes
South Africa Latest News,South Africa Headlines
  • 📰 STForeignDesk
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 89 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 39%
  • Publisher: 71%

HONG KONG - On Saturday evening in Tsim Sha Tsui, a harbourfront district popular with tourists for its mix of luxury boutiques and more affordable offerings, nearly one in three shops on main thoroughfare Nathan Road was shuttered. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The city has had a rough few years. It used to welcome over 70 million visitors annually before Covid-19; over 90 per cent of its gross domestic product is dependent on the services sector.

Heavily dependent on the mainland Chinese market, which made up over 70 per cent of the city’s tourist traffic pre-pandemic, many high street shops have gone out of business, while landlords from Central to Tsuen Wan struggle to find new tenants. Previously a popular hotspot for backpackers and tourists looking for a good deal on electronics and off-brand watches, the building was largely empty on a Saturday evening except for a few shop assistants standing around.

“While we’re cautiously optimistic that the market could pick up within the year, much of this is still dependent on whether tourists, especially those from mainland China, are going to return in full force, or whether they have found alternative avenues for shopping such as e-commerce,” Ms Leung told The Straits Times.

This has little impact, however, on Hong Kongers who plan to seek opportunities in the mainland because most who do so, are already plugged-in to China’s system, whether socially or professionally. Hong Kong, he said, has been important for fundraising, but is also a convenient meeting point for international clients simply because paperwork for foreigners to visit the city is simply less cumbersome than trying to enter the mainland.

There have also been other smaller, unofficial delegations to destinations such as Jakarta and Bangkok, said legislator Edward Leung Hei, who has been part of two such trips. Earlier this month, the Hong Kong government also launched an aggressive promotional campaign, “Hello Hong Kong”, which includes giving away 500,000 free air tickets to attract tourists.

Guangzhou-based artist Xu Haoran, 26, said he has already gone to the city twice in the past month, visiting friends and music shops.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

STForeignDesk /  🏆 4. in SG

South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Hong Kong to scrap COVID-19 mask mandate from Mar 1Hong Kong to scrap COVID-19 mask mandate from Mar 1HONG KONG: Hong Kong will drop its COVID-19 mask mandate, chief executive John Lee said on Tuesday (Feb 28), in a move to lure back visitors and business and restore normal life more than three years after stringent rules were first imposed in the financial hub. The measure will take effect from Wednesday,
Read more »

Hong Kong scraps one of the world’s longest Covid-19 mask mandates on March 1Hong Kong scraps one of the world’s longest Covid-19 mask mandates on March 1Masks will still need to be worn at high-risk places including hospitals. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »

Hong Kong to scrap Covid-19 mask mandate on March 1Hong Kong to scrap Covid-19 mask mandate on March 1HONG KONG - Hong Kong will drop its Covid-19 mask mandate from Wednesday, chief executive John Lee said on Tuesday, in a move to lure back visitors and restore normal life more than three years after stringent rules were first imposed in the financial hub. The measure will...
Read more »

Ex-father-in-law of Hong Kong model and his eldest son charged with murderEx-father-in-law of Hong Kong model and his eldest son charged with murderThe ex-father-in-law of Hong Kong model Abby Choi Tin-fung and his eldest son have been charged with murder after they were arrested on suspicion of killing her, police said. The force on Sunday (Feb 26) also said Choi’s former mother-in-law, 63, was charged with one count of perverting the course o
Read more »

Police find missing head of butchered Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi in big soup potPolice find missing head of butchered Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi in big soup potHer head was found in one of two large pots almost filled to the brim with soup and minced meat believed to be human remains. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »

Police find missing head of dismembered Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi in soup potPolice find missing head of dismembered Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi in soup potHer head was found in one of two large pots filled with soup and minced meat believed to be human remains. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »



Render Time: 2025-03-18 02:11:48