Hong Kong should enhance communications to handle vacationers’ expectations of fireworks shows, a tourism veteran has stated after guests from mainland China aired complaints a few scaled-down pyrotechnics show on Labour Day.

It got here as Hong Kong noticed greater than 181,000 arrivals from the mainland on the primary day of the Could 1 “golden week”.

Timothy Chui, govt director of the Hong Kong Tourism Affiliation, instructed RTHK that he was “pleasantly shocked” to know that some mainland vacationers had come to Hong Kong particularly for the scaled-down fireworks show.

Nevertheless, some Chinese language netizens weren’t impressed by the festivities, complaining in regards to the scale of the pyrotechnics, whereas others mockingly known as the show a “smoke present” after it fogged up the skyline.

The pyrotechnics shows had been introduced throughout the 2024 Finances as a part of a HK$1.09 billion plan to spice up tourism and “mushy promote” the town, finance minister Paul Chan stated this February.

They’re anticipated to be held month-to-month, with every show costing roughly HK$1 million.

‘Clear message’ wanted

In accordance with Immigration Division figures, some 181,400 mainland vacationers crossed the border into Hong Kong on Wednesday, accounting for nearly a fourth of the 467,608 arrivals, with many of the the rest being native residents.

Solely 27,406 of the 467,608 arrivals on Wednesday had been “different guests,” in line with official information, which refers to foreigners getting into the town apart from native or mainland guests.

The determine for mainland vacationer arrivals marks a 40 per cent enhance over the 129,349 arrivals throughout final yr’s Labour Day. Town expects greater than 800,000 guests from the mainland over golden week, which lasts from Could 1 to five.

Chui attributed these figures to the federal government’s promotional efforts on Chinese language social media app Xiaohongshu, including that he believed extra individuals would have come if the climate had been higher.

However he additionally stated the federal government ought to ship a “clear message” that the pyrotechnics shows are scaled down from bigger, longer-lasting shows corresponding to these held on Nationwide Day or Lunar New 12 months in order that vacationers would know what to anticipate.

Some Chinese language netizens complained in regards to the scale of the fireworks, saying they’d been “scammed”.

“Good factor I didn’t hire out a yacht to see the pyrotechnics. Doesn’t it really feel like a gimmick to cheat vacationers into spending cash?” one Xiaohongshu person stated, complaining that the low-altitude show solely lasted 10 minutes.

See extra: Hong Kong says it listens to locals, in addition to mainland vacationers, as lawmaker says gov’t disregards residents’ calls for

The fireworks had been fired straight from floor stage, creating a big cloud of gray smoke from the fireworks may very well be seen drifting throughout Victoria Harbour.

Chui stated the smoky skyline was a results of the rain. “I feel guests who got here to Hong Kong had been usually glad. On social media, it’s regular for individuals to say a couple of issues,” he added.

Lawmaker Peter Shiu, representing the retail business, stated the federal government might dedicate extra sources for publicity.

Talking on the identical radio programme, he stated the fireworks had been a “shining mild” for Hong Kong that might assist drive tourism.

Since Hong Kong reopened its borders final March following the Covid-19 pandemic, the variety of mainland vacationers has recovered extra quickly than worldwide guests, with many seeking to social media for ideas on the place to go to.

Tourism Board information exhibits that the variety of mainland vacationers within the final quarter of 2023 had recovered to round 80 per cent of the common seen within the five-year interval between 2015 and 2019.

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