YouTuber IShowSpeed's visit promotes HK to the world: Rosanna Law

Live streams by popular American YouTuber IShowSpeed during his Hong Kong visit effectively promoted the city’s openness and safety as the influencer’s spontaneous tour drew massive crowds and global attention, according to Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui.

The streamer with 38 million subscribers, known for his high-energy content, explored multiple districts last week, broadcasting his adventures in real time. 

In an interview with local media, Law confirmed the Hong Kong Tourism Board contacted Speed’s team pre-visit but noted his preference for informal exploration over structured collaborations.

“IShowSpeed’s brand is built on spontaneity and excitement. If his activities were too official, it might not align with his personal style,” Law said, adding his team favored “guerrilla-style” discoveries. 

She noted that during Speed’s travels in mainland China, he engaged with local brands and participated in sponsored events. While in Hong Kong, he visited Ocean Park and rode the iconic tram, but much of his content focused on street-level interactions.

“His hours-long live streams showcased the city’s dynamic environment, proving that Hong Kong is a safe, fun, and open destination where visitors can enjoy themselves as long as they follow public order,” Law said.

However, Law acknowledged that the influencer likely did not anticipate such an overwhelming response in Hong Kong as crowds of fans followed him into MTR stations, which caused disruptions.

Law noted that traditional tourism campaigns -- such as polished commercials -- are no longer the only effective way to attract visitors. She emphasized modern tourism relies on influencers over traditional ads, vowing to leverage global key opinion leaders for promotion.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also confirmed that the HKTB had reached out to Speed’s team but received no specific requests.

Lee said the government will proactively assist prominent influencers coming to Hong Kong while urging businesses and residents to foster a welcoming atmosphere for visitors and content creators.

Lee also highlighted the success of recent major events under the “Hong Kong Super March” campaign, including Art Central and the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament, which saw high foreign visitor attendance and various industries had reported a 15 percent to 30 percent increase in revenue during the period.

Lee said Hong Kong will host several high-profile conferences and exhibitions this month, such as the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit, Business of Innovation & Technology Week, InnoEx, 2025 World Tourism Cities Federation Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit.

(Ayra Wang)