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Letters

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification
I refer to the op-ed, “Hong Kong’s tourist attractions are all around us” (February 13).
The observation that a strong Hong Kong dollar and the diminished allure of luxury brands for tourists have resulted in a drop in retail’s share of tourism receipts is spot on. Visitors are increasingly seeking deeper cultural experiences, such as tasting locally crafted snacks like the famous egg waffles and other street food.
They are also interested in purchasing extremely local branded apparel which isn’t sold widely abroad, particularly brands that originated in Hong Kong. The “shopping paradise” strategy needs a significant rethink that focuses on local appeal.
The massive investment in the “panda economy” is highly questionable. Tourists from the Greater Bay Area or Greater China find no novelty in seeing pandas in Hong Kong, and overseas tourists prioritise more unique cultural experiences over panda-hunting in Ocean Park.
Ocean Park should be encouraged to forge a new path by offering innovative and creative experiences that distinguish it as a destination not only for tourists but also a hotspot for locals.
It is high time Hong Kong positioned itself to attract high-value tourists from Persian Gulf countries. This requires a concerted effort to develop fully fledged Muslim-friendly services and eateries. Currently, halal options in Hong Kong are extremely limited. We should offer halal versions of Hong Kong food staples, such as dim sum and baked goods, and improve the general labelling system for halal products, including beverages and packaged goods.
Coupled with an impressive marketing campaign featuring international figures, these changes could work wonders for Hong Kong’s tourism industry.
Stephanie Yan Ki Tse, Tuen Mun
No need for restaurants to stay open 24 hours
I refer to the letter, “Hong Kong restaurants should stay open round the clock” (February 4). Courtesy extended to customers cannot be taken to extreme limits. Think of the deserted roadside cafes in London’s freezing rain, or in Europe’s winter in general when restaurants would barely attract patrons in the wee hours.
Many restaurants are only packed with customers for a few hours in the evening, and are awkwardly quiet the rest of the time.
In such a situation, expecting to take long lunches and dinners is simply nonsense, a nuisance to staff who need time to rest. Let’s not overstay our welcome. Waiters prefer customers who treat them with respect, rather than those who are pretentious.
Edmond Pang, Fanling


440,000 mainland arrivals over Mid-Autumn weekend, hotels brace for National Day

As youth lose jobs to AI, Hong Kong must act

Fireworks, free rides and dining deals: how to celebrate National Day in Hong Kong

Hong Kong to close deals with firms from strategic sectors in months: Paul Chan

Hong Kong economy

When tourists come to Hong Kong, they’re not panda-hunting

Members of the media take photographs of a giant panda cub at Ocean Park in Wong Chuk Hang on February 15. Photo: Eugene Lee

Panda fever is great but Hong Kong needs its own cultural icon

Illustration: Craig Stephens

The Dukling, built in 1955, is the last antique Chinese junk still regularly operating in Hong Kong. It offers Victoria Harbour tours, charters and advertisement opportunities. Photo: Winson Wong 

Give Hong Kong’s animal welfare law teeth by adding duty of care

A dog at the Hong Kong Pet Show at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on February 7. Photo: Nora Tam

Hong Kong’s taxi industry is living on borrowed time

A taxi driver, 77, and his passenger were injured after the vehicle crashed into a lamp post in Hong Kong’s Admiralty on August 8, 2024. Photo: Sam Tsang

Boost Hong Kong’s brand with green mega-events

People browse through the stalls at the Lunar New Year fair at Victoria Park on January 25.  Photo: Elson Li

Opinion

Readers discuss what the city should city do to attract visitors, and the suggestion that restaurants stay open round the clock


Readers discuss what the city should city do to attract visitors, and the suggestion that restaurants stay open round the clock.


.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Readers discuss what the city should city do to attract visitors, and the suggestion that restaurants stay open round the clock

Readers discuss what the city should city do to attract visitors, and the suggestion that restaurants stay open round the clock