Hotel-to-hostel conversions won’t hurt tourist capacity: Hong Kong official

Hong Kong’s move to repurpose excess office and hotel spaces to meet the growing housing needs of non-local students will not hurt the city’s tourism capacity, a senior official has said, while a leading surveyor has warned of possible hurdles.

Doris Ho Pui-ling, permanent secretary for development in planning and lands, said on Monday that allowing hotels to be converted would not cannibalise tourist accommodation, adding that the supply of rooms was sufficient.

“We have more than 90,000 hotel rooms in Hong Kong with an occupancy rate of around 80 to 90 per cent, so as we see it now, the quantity should be able to support the development of the tourism industry,” Ho said.

“Ultimately, we will leave the market to decide whether some low-to-mid-priced hotels turn into student hostels.”

According to the latest figures from the Tourism Board, the average hotel occupancy rate reached 86 per cent in April.

On Friday, the Development Bureau announced that it would expand the definition of “hotels” to include student hostels, waive planning procedures and simplify applications, allowing private operators to build the dormitories on commercial land more easily.