Hong Kong Tourism Starts to Feel Impact as Pro-Democracy Protests Rage On
Skift Take
Major Hong Kong hotels expect to report lower earnings for the year but believe that the city will retain its global standing as one of the world’s biggest tourism hubs in the long term.
Hong Kong’s tourism industry is going through a period of uncertainty and disquiet as political protests entered the eighth week without any signs of abating.
It's unclear how the drama will further unfold after Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Beijing's top policy body for the two cities, broke its silence and slammed the protests at a press briefing Monday.
The past three days were nail-biting for Hong Kong's tourism players. For the first time, tourism was used as a way to get the pro-democracy voice heard internationally, as seen by the protests supported by the flight attendants union at Hong Kong International Airport last Friday.
Much to the relief of the industry, that turned out to be peaceful with no disruptions in airport operations. A march on Saturday in the small town of Yuen Long, near the border with China, however, saw a reported 24 people hospitalized. Demonstrations continued in the central business district on Hong Kong island on Sunday, with police fi
