Hong Kong should do more to leverage its traditional festivals to draw international visitors and build its competitive advantage in cultural tourism, Shangri-La Group chairman and group CEO Kuok Hui Kwong has said.
Kuok, the daughter of Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok, said Hong Kong had done well since the Covid-19 pandemic to entice international visitors back to the city, but could go even further in tapping its “cultural foundation” amid fierce competition for tourists.
She made the remarks to the South China Morning Post in a Hong Kong media-exclusive interview on the sidelines of Shangri-La’s new “Dragonbeat” festival programme, which it launched as part of its new five-year partnership with the Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships.
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“Everyone knows Hong Kong is a really vibrant international city, but at the same time it’s a vibrant international city that has really preserved a lot of its traditional culture,” Kuok said.
She added that Hong Kong was uniquely positioned as a bridge between mainland China and the world, giving the city “enormous potential” for cultural tourism – particularly as the mainland grew as a popular destination among international travellers.
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“I think this allows Hong Kong to have fresh opportunities to build a new competitive advantage in terms of tourism through culture,” she said.