More Hong Kong tourism angst

From HKFP…

In the fourth quarter of last year, the city recorded 72,035 UK tourists compared to 158,702 in the same period of 2018. The number of US visitors declined from 377,613 to 216,965 in the same period.

…Hong Kong authorities have made winning back tourists a key policy goal. During the budget speech in February, the government announced it had allocated HK$1.1 billion to promote “mega events,” host monthly pyrotechnics and drone shows, and partner with influencers to promote Hong Kong.

…But tourists today are visiting a city vastly different to what it once was. Following large-scale protests in 2019, Beijing the following year imposed a national security law on Hong Kong, under which civil society groups have disbanded and scores of activists have been jailed.

The city has also revived a colonial-era sedition law, jailing dozens – including ordinary people – for allegedly endangering national security.

Following the passage of further security legislation in March, the Australian government updated its warning. “The law includes additional national security offences. You could be detained without charge for up to 16 days and denied access to a lawyer for up to 48 hours,” the advisory reads.

Some commentators blame airlines for not offering enough/affordable flights; others say airline capacity reflects passenger demand, not vice-versa. But either way, flights from North America/Europe via Tokyo/Bangkok/etc are not too pricy.

The SCMP reports…

Hong Kong customs will alert police if visitors are caught with seditious materials and fail to give a reasonable excuse under the city’s domestic national security legislation, but did not offer a clear definition of what items fell foul of the new law.

…[Commissioner of Customs and Excise Louise Ho Pui-shan] was asked on Friday how authorities would respond to tourists carrying old newspapers, such as copies of the now-defunct tabloid Apple Daily, or returning residents with books covering military matters in Hong Kong.

The customs chief only said there were no import and export restrictions on regular books, but urged visitors not to transport anything that could be in breach of the law.

“When the customs inspects tourists who are entering Hong Kong or their luggage, if we find some suspicious publications and we have a reasonable suspicion that these publications have a seditious intent, where the tourists do not have a reasonable defence, only then will we alert the case to the relevant law enforcement units,” she said.

She also mentioned that there was no definition of ‘soft resistance’. Her statements were in response to questions from media, at a press conference intended to highlight NatSec-related training for Customs officials. She was trying to sound reassuring, but had to deliver an underlying message that visitors could end up being arrested simply for carrying books or newspapers. If anything she said is picked up overseas, that will be it.

And from AP…

At an immigration expo during the law’s first two days, immigration consultant Ben Li’s booth was constantly busy, its small white tables all occupied. Inquiries about moving abroad jumped about 40% from last year’s expo. More than half of those asking cited the new ordinance, known locally as Article 23, as a reason to consider emigration.

“The Article 23 legislation has brought a significant catalyzing effect,” Li said.

…But since the 2020 law was imposed by Beijing after months of anti-government protests, [freedoms] have been sharply curtailed. Many pro-democracy activists have been arrested, silenced or forced into exile. Dozens of civil society groups have been disbanded. Outspoken media like Apple Daily and Stand News have been shut down. And many disillusioned young professionals and middle-class families have emigrated to Britain, Canada and Taiwan.