Panda economy can bring holiday cheer and more

Ayra Wang

Pro-Beijing lawmakers assert panda-themed activities would be a boon for the city, urging the government to promote "pandamonium" in the upcoming Christmas and Lunar New Year holidays to attract tourists.

This follows a Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong survey, conducted between September 13 and October 14, of 720 citizens who show a strong love for the giant pandas.

DAB lawmaker Brave Chan Yung said the government should seize the opportunity to make giant pandas "local stars."

"The government can work with Ocean Park to turn Hong Kong's six pandas into brands by visual design and showcase each panda's character by displaying their lives," Chan said.

The survey indicated that over half of respondents would visit Ocean Park to see the giant pandas, with more than 60 percent willing to recommend their friends and family do the same.

He suggested the government set up a livestream to allow citizens and tourists to observe the pandas' daily lives. About 50 percent of respondents said they would be interested in such a channel.

Chan also said it has been proven that giant pandas can bring huge economic benefits, noting that mainland celebrity panda Hua Hua attracts over 10 million tourists to the Chengdu panda base every year.

The total annual ecological service income, derived tourism and cultural value of giant pandas globally has exceeded US$6.9 billion (HK$53.6 billion), 27 times the cost of hosting them, Chan said, quoting data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2021.

He said the SAR should refer to mainland cities and overseas countries to create a comprehensive one-stop panda-themed experience for tourists, involving co-branded panda cultural and creative products, cafes, restaurants and accommodations.

But he said Hong Kong should also maintain its features and called on the government and Ocean Park to cooperate with local artists to create cartoon characters based on the six pandas and integrate these characters into urban designs, including promotion leaflets, advertisements on public transport and souvenirs.

The airport could also launch a panda-themed lottery for inbound passengers during the off-season to attract more visitors, he said, offering prizes such as catering coupons, MTR tickets and shopping cards. He also encouraged Octopus to launch a special edition of the Octopus card with a panda design.

Lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun suggested the government promote Hong Kong's giant pandas to overseas tourists who don't have pandas in their countries.

He also called on the government to help sectors launch various panda-themed events in the coming Christmas and Lunar New Year to maintain the city's panda fever.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com