Hong Kong Food Festival starts final day with deals, mixed vendor experiences

The five-day Hong Kong Food Festival will conclude on Sunday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, with many stall owners offering deals to clear their remaining stock on the final day.  

The festival, which began on December 25, saw varied experiences among vendors. A stall owner specializing in dried seafood and tonics reported an average customer turnout, with business volume down by 20 to 30 percent compared to last year. In response, they planned to lower prices to clear their inventory.  

Conversely, a vendor selling cured meats had a more positive experience, having sold about 80 percent of their products. They estimated a 20—to 30-percent increase in customer flow this year, attributing the rise to the reinstatement of the Shenzhen multi-entry visa, which allowed more mainland travelers to visit and shop.  

A Thai snack vendor noted that their sales were significantly lower than expected, achieving only half of their anticipated business and just a quarter compared to the "World of Snacks" exhibition held in July.  

Visitors also had mixed feelings about the festival.  

One attendee, visiting for the third time in five days, spent HK$3,000 on items like biscuits and cured meats, noting that prices inside the venue were more affordable than outside stores. However, they felt that overall customer turnout was lower than in previous years.  

Another first-time visitor compared the festival unfavorably with the HKTDC Food Expo held in August, criticizing the lack of variety and distinctiveness among the stalls. They were disappointed with the similarity in pricing to regular market rates and ended up purchasing only some hot pot ingredients.