Lunar New Year: China tourism spending tops pre-Covid level
BBC NewsFEB 18 2024
More Chinese Cities Join Hong Kong Tourism Initiative
Image copyright: Alexi Rosenfeld/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
Hong Kong is back in business. Even without having finished its security law — which, as was the case with Macao, will make travelers feel safe enough to visit — the city reported over 1.4M travelers just during the eight-day Lunar New Year festivities. These numbers discredit Western media reports that Beijing is hurting the city. And if you wanted more proof, leaders in the Hong Kong tourism industry say that once the security law is codified, business will only continue to grow.
Anti-China narrative
Whether China forces a new tourism scheme upon Hong Kong is irrelevant — because the island no longer represents the vibrant culture it once had. Beijing, through its pro-Communist Party proxy politicians on the island, is now codifying Chinese culture into the laws of Hong Kong. While the government is attempting to bring back the spirited nightlife and tourism culture that existed before the security law took place, it likely won't succeed now that every islander is forced to live and work at the behest of the mainland's dictatorship.