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Ed Peters

Let’s start with a joke.
“How do you spell ‘tourists’?”
“T-o-u-r-i-f-t-s.”
“Hang on, there ain’t no ‘f’ in tourists.”
“That’s right.”
Indeed, until very recently, Hong Kong was utterly devoid of effing tourists. However, now that the LeaveHomeSafe contact-tracing app malarkey has been consigned to where it belongs, those little cash cows are starting to come traipsing back.
But even with the barnstorming launch of the Tourism Board’s Hello Hong Kong campaign and the willy-nilly handout of freebie plane tickets, the city needs to up its game. Frankly speaking, Hong Kong’s old tourism chestnuts, such as trams and the Star Ferry, have a shelf life.

Some suggestions. First up, swings. Go to somewhere like Bali, and you’ll find just about any prominence with a half-decent panorama has got a swing stuck atop. It’s not so much about the dollars earned per ride as the free advertising that comes from the Instagram posts.
First-choice location would have to be about halfway around Lugard Road on Victoria Peak for that stupendous alpine/maritime/metropolitan cocktail. Killjoys can keep their health-and-safety concerns to themselves.
Second: bridge climbs. It took entrepreneur Paul Cave 10 years to sidestep the naysayers and their reels of red tape and set up the Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb; it’s now one of Australia’s top attractions, and deservedly so.

Hong Kong has got a number of potentially suitable structures (Tsing Ma Bridge, Stonecutters Bridge) for a similar endeavour. If the government is planning to build any more, perhaps “climbability” could be added to the initial specifications.
Third: our country parks are fab – we need to make them fabber. App-linked hostels with the bare-bones necessities (running water, loos, bunks) for out-of-the-way overnight stays would be a logical first step.
Fourth, Mr Hung has been advertising his rickshaws by the Man Yiu Street roundabout in Central for donkey’s years. Like junks, they’re a form of transport that simply trumpets “Hong Kong”. Let’s give their visibility a boost.
‘Fly’ over Macau on a 388-metre zip line at speeds of up to 55km/h
Forget that “colonial” rubbish – they’re eco-friendly, photogenic, fun and tailor-made for a sightseeing trip around The Peak, through Victoria Park or along the harbourfront. Similar jaunts are on offer in Penang, Macau, Singapore – even London.
And before anyone says anything, Hong Kong is not so crowded that it can’t accommodate a mobile armchair or two.
I’m running out of space. Hong Kong’s reputation on the tourist circuit has taken a pummelling. We need to add some value. Pronto.


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Hong Kong

New tourist attractions for Hong Kong to consider, from bridge climbs and Instagrammable swings to making better use of our country parks

Swings placed at lookout points, such as those that are common in Bali, would be a great addition to Hong Kong’s tourist attraction portfolio, Ed Peters says. Photo: Shutterstock

Trams ride through Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

People perform yoga on top of Sydney Harbor Bridge in 2016. Photo: Xinhua

8 of the most thrilling zip line experiences in Asia, from Macau’s new ZipCity to zip cycling in the Philippines, and Vietnam’s Dark Cave

Visitors ride through the mouth of Godzilla replica on zip lines at the Nijigen no Mori theme park in Awajishima, Hyogo prefecture, Japan. Photo: Getty Images

Bicycle zip-lining at the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park in Bohol, the Philippines, is among the best zip-line experiences tourists can have in Asia. Photo: Chocolate Hills Adventure

Macau’s brand new ZipCity zip line. Photo: ZipCity

The zip-line entry to the Shinta Mani Wild resort, in Cambodia’s Kirirom National Park. Photo: Shinta Mani Wild

Zip-Flyer, near Pokhara, Nepal has views of 8,000-metre Himalayan peaks on a clear day. Photo: High Ground Nepal.

The zip line into Hang Toi cave, in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, in Vietnam. Photo: Celina Tours

Visitors zip line through the mouth of Godzilla at the Nijigen no Mori theme park on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Photo: Getty Images

Zip-lining through the rainforest in Laos as part of the Gibbon Experience Treetop zip line. Photo: Shutterstock

The three-person zip line on Sentosa Island, Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock

Why South Korea makes the best tourism videos, putting the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign to shame

Suga and Jimin from K-pop group BTS in a video in the “Feel the Rhythm of Korea” series, launched by the Korea Tourism Organisation. Photo: Youtube / Imagine Your Korea

Images from a “Hello Hong Kong” video featuring local stars (from left) Sammi Cheng, Aaron Kwok and Kelly Chen – all of whom are in their 50s. Photo: Discover Hong Kong / YouTube

Inside the new Experience Europe tourist attraction in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Experience Europe

Visitors take part in a VR experience at Experience Europe. Photo: Experience Europe

Britain and Hong Kong both have much to offer – don’t listen to the misleading and exaggerated narratives

People enjoy a picnic in Greenwich Park, London. Photo: AFP

A homeless man sleeps on The Strand in London on October 1, 2022, as campaigners gather in the city to protest against the cost-of-living crisis. Photo: AFP

A child flies a kite at the West Kowloon Cultural District overlooking Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong on October 27, 2022. Photo: AFP

Cruises are back in Hong Kong but they’re terrible for the environment – so is that such  a good thing?

The Silver Spirit, a cruise liner operated by Silversea Cruises, arrives in Hong Kong from Singapore on January 18, 2023. Photo: Sam Tsang

The Silver Spirit arrives in Hong Kong on January 18, 2023. Photo: Sam Tsang

Aircraft carriers, such as US Navy’s USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) (pictured), used to be common sights in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. Photo: AFP

Dubai is currently the world’s most popular tourist destination, according to Tripadvisor. Photo: Getty Images

Bali leads Tripadvisor’s “Popular Asian Destinations” sub-list. Photo: Getty Images

Kathmandu, in Nepal, is in Tripadvisor’s top three for nature list. Photo: Getty Images

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The Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb is one of Australia’s top attractions – Hong Kong has a number of potentially suitable structures for a similar endeavour
Swings strategically placed at lookout points, such as on Lugard Road on Victoria Peak, would bring in some great free Instagram advertising


From bridge climbs like that in Sydney to Instagrammable swings on lookout points, Hong Kong has a lot of scope for fresh tourist attractions, and shouldn’t just rely on the same old ones.


Tourism

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Opinion