Tour operators fume as fireworks canceled

The traditional fireworks display in Victoria Harbour on the second day of the Lunar New Year has been canceled - the third fireworks show to be snuffed out since the unrest.

This came as the Tourism Board revealed the number of visitors to Hong Kong dropped 14.2 percent to 55.9 million last year.

The Secretary for Home Affairs, Lau Kong-wah, said yesterday the government decided to cancel the Lunar New Year fireworks show for safety reasons.

"We have an overall assessment of the present environment," Lau told reporters after the Legislative Council meeting.

Speaking to legislators earlier, Lau said the government had considered the continued instability in society, posing threats to public activities, and decided to call off the show set for January 26.

Tourism sector lawmaker Yiu Si-wing said the cancellation will directly affect the hotel, catering and tourism sectors as many mainlanders and overseas visitors are attracted by the festive atmosphere and fireworks.

Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan said the decision does not reflect well on the police force. "With all the arms and ammunition of the police, I don't understand why they have no confidence in ensuring public safety," she said.

Travel Industry Council chairman Jason Wong Chun-tat said the cancellation was announced too late.

About 100 fireworks tours are booked each year, he said, and the government should have notified tour agencies earlier to reduce their losses.

Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said some people have already booked seats at seaview restaurants in Wan Chai, Admiralty, Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay to watch the fireworks and he expected some would cancel their bookings.

The Tourism Board yesterday announced the number of visitors to Hong Kong rose 14 percent in the first half of 2019, but dropped 39 percent in the second half due to the unrest.

The number of visitors dropped 14.2 percent for the whole year while the number of overnight visitors dipped 18.8 percent.

Board chairman Pang Yiu-kai said the tourism sector faced exceptional challenges over the past year, but it is working on a large-scale global promotion in several markets to rebuild Hong Kong's tourism image.

Meanwhile, MTR Corp will put on more than 300 additional train trips starting in the afternoon of Lunar New Year's Eve on January 24 until February 2.

A three-day carnival at the West Kowloon Cultural District will replace the traditional Lunar New Year night parade.