Hong Kong leader fires officials in desperate bid to revive tourism
- Hong Kong leader John Lee has replaced two senior officials responsible for tourism and transport.
- The city is attempting to recover from the decline in tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic and previous protests.
- The leadership changes are aimed at improving social and economic benefits, with the goal of reviving Hong Kong's appeal as a tourism destination.
In an unexpected move signaling a commitment to revitalizing Hong Kong's economy, leader John Lee announced the replacement of two senior officials on Thursday, December 5, 2024. The officials being replaced are Kevin Yeung, secretary for culture, sports and tourism, and Lam Sai-hung, secretary for transport and logistics. This decision comes in the context of Hong Kong's ongoing struggle to restore its international tourism appeal following significant disruptions caused by violent protests in 2019 and strict travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee remarked that he had been observing the situation for some time and felt the need to act decisively as the city works to recover from these challenges. He emphasized that the objective of this leadership change is to maximize social and economic benefits for Hong Kong, aiming to reposition the city as a competitive tourism destination once again. The replacements, Mable Chan and Rosanna Law, both bring over 30 years of government experience and are expected to utilize their leadership skills to clearly communicate policies and drive sector improvements. In addition to the leadership changes, Hong Kong authorities are actively organizing a variety of sporting and cultural events to entice international visitors, including a major panda carnival scheduled from December 11-21 to showcase the city's recently acquired pandas. Despite these efforts, the number of tourists visiting Hong Kong remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels. By the end of October 2024, around 36.68 million tourists had visited the city, with a government target of 46 million arrivals by the end of the year. This figure is far below the 65 million arrivals recorded in 2018, illustrating the pressing need for effective measures to revive the city’s tourism sector.