Criticism mounts over IShowSpeed's HK tour planning as itinerary fails to showcase city's highlights

American YouTuber IShowSpeed's Hong Kong tour has drawn criticism from lawmakers and netizens, who believe the city fails to properly capitalize on the influencer's global reach due to inadequate planning.

During the day's visit, the social media star was guided by local YouTubers Torres Pit and Bertram Lau, who faced criticism from netizens for the dull and inappropriate itinerary.

Lawmaker Dominic Lee Tsz-king posted on social media that the arrangement did not include the "best side of Hong Kong," such as Victoria Harbour, West Kowloon Cultural District, and Kai Tak Sports Park.

He compared Speed's experiences in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, highlighting the influencer's engagement with drone food delivery, interaction with robotics, and acquisition of foldable phones in mainland. In contrast, Speed just tasted the street food in Hong Kong and participated in the traditional ritual of villain-beating.

Lee added that Hong Kong lost valuable opportunities to its neighboring city, Shenzhen, and failed to promote Hong Kong's international character, which is the city's unique advantage.

Meanwhile, he questioned whether the government had been aware of the influencer's visit in advance, noting that Shenzhen authorities had arranged multiple activities for Speed.

In response to media requests, the Hong Kong Tourism Board stated that authorities had contacted the YouTuber's team and offered assistance during his visit. However, the board did not receive any requests.

Board member Simon Wong Kit-lung also highlighted that Hong Kong is an inclusive city that embraces different styles of content, and noted that some clips from the influencer's live streaming were interesting and showed the bustling side of the metropolis.

Francis Fong Po-kiu spoke against the criticism of the itinerary, noting that the live streaming had attracted attention and succeeded in the marketing perspective.

He said the audiences appreciate the authentic and spontaneous content produced by the YouTuber, suggesting that government intervention to "plan" the itinerary may not be advisable. 

However, he agreed that the overall experience could have been enhanced through improved planning and adequate preparation on the part of the private organizer.

(Judy Cui)

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