Contrasting views on weather impact for upcoming Labour Day pyrotechnic show

Tour guides said the unstable weather would not significantly impact the upcoming Labour Day Golden Week holidays while catering representatives worry the business may drop by 40 percent.

The Tourism Board organized the display in order to welcome 800,000 mainland tourists and boost the consumption sentiment. However, the Observatory forecasts a rainy day with squally thunderstorms on May 1 (Wed), with the showers being expected to be heavy at times.

Some tour guides stated that the fireworks display is only held for one day and is not part of their general itinerary, and the travel agencies are also prepared to adjust the itinerary based on the weather.

Sara Leung Fong-yuen, the chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Industry Employees General Union, believes the show's cancellation will not disappoint tourists greatly.

However, several restaurants are using the event as the primary promotion theme to attract bookings, and bad weather may cause same-day return travelers to cancel their trips.

Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades president Simon Wong Ka-wo added that the sector might lose 40 percent of its business during the holiday due to the unstable weather.