Mainland tourist toll feared over full smoking ban

Alysha Bibi

Legislative Council members of the Liberal Party warned that a complete ban on flavored tobacco would deal a blow to the tourism industry.

That is the verdict the party is drawing from an online questionnaire that received responses from more than 2,500 mainland smokers.

Over 90 percent of the respondents indicated they would be less inclined to come to Hong Kong if the proposed measures banning flavored tobacco products and smoking alternatives were to be implemented.

Moreover, around 70 percent were aware of the SAR's plans to ban flavored cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and other heated tobacco products.

The purpose of the online poll was to assess the potential impact of the proposed tobacco-control measures on inbound tourism from the mainland.

It follows an administration announcement last month of its intention to introduce 10 short-term tobacco control measures to lower the city's smoking rate from 9.1 percent now to 7.8 percent next year.

If passed by Legco, these measures would impose additional restrictions on the consumption of tobacco-related products, including a total ban on the possession of flavored cigarettes and smoking alternatives.

After assessing the survey findings, party chairman Peter Shiu Ka-fai urged the government to reconsider and revise certain smoking-control measures, as they would not only affect Hong Kong people's freedom of choice but also deter tourists from coming and have an impact on the tourism industry and the local economy.

"We are not saying we don't support all these [10] measures, there are some we support, but some are too extreme," Shiu said.

"Although this questionnaire is on mainland tourists, from my understanding, it is very common in many Asian countries to consume similar tobacco products, so this ban might even deter other tourists from coming," he added.

"We worry that with the further ban on menthol cigarettes and candy/fruit-flavored cigarettes, more people will be deterred from coming," Shiu said.

On April 30, 2022, the import and sale of alternative smoking products like vapes were banned in the city.

However, if this latest proposed measure passes through, personal use of alternative smoking products and flavored tobacco products will also be prohibited.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said the cigarette ban won't affect tourism, as tourists "don't come to Hong Kong just to smoke."

However, Shiu said yesterday the concern is about the potential inconvenience the ban would pose to individuals.

Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group,said many bars and restaurants in Lan Kwai Fong rely on the sale of flavored shisha as a significant part of their business and revenue.

He expressed understanding for the health department's efforts in implementing such measures.