Homing in on the economy

To allay concerns and uncertainties about traveling during the pandemic, customers are advised to think carefully before they book rooms from the livestreaming campaign and schedule their check-in date later, Lam said. This would make travel more flexible and, to some extent, encourage more reservations.

As for the future prospects of the tourism business after normal cross-border travel resumes, he said local experiences remain the key and will still be in high demand as there will be a very limited number of travelers who will be able to come initially.

The HKSAR government has been trying to introduce a new concept of travel highlighting new experiences, rather than projecting Hong Kong as a pure shopping destination. Nowadays, visitors are seen to come to Hong Kong to get a totally fresh experience of Hong Kong as a very dynamic and special city, Yau said.

"The tourism industry should not lose sight in making the best use of this opportunity now — a relatively quiet period to upgrade itself. It's the best time for the industry to rescale, remodel and retrain itself, not to mention rediscovering the treasures that are somehow hidden in this city," Yau said.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board also stated that it will continue to work closely with industry members and has initiated various campaigns and promotions to rebuild the local ambience by encouraging locals to be the city's own tourists to build their love and appreciation of the city's fascinating tourism offerings, ultimately broadcasting a positive voice about Hong Kong to global audiences.

To enable Hong Kong people to rediscover their city's tourism appeal and uncovering new tourism assets for new product development, thereby preparing for welcoming back visitors with greater hospitality, the HKTB will maintain its agile approach with flexible strategies in handling the volatile pandemic situation to drive the recovery of tourism industry, an HKTB spokesman said.