According to a report by The Standard on July 5th, members of the Liberal Party in the Hong Kong Legislative Council have warned that a complete ban on flavored tobacco will have a negative impact on the tourism industry in Hong Kong.
This conclusion was reached by the party based on an online survey questionnaire from over 2,500 mainland smokers.
More than 90% of respondents indicated that if measures were taken to ban flavored tobacco products and smoking alternatives, they would be less inclined to travel to Hong Kong.
In addition, about 70% of respondents have been informed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region plans to ban flavored tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other heated tobacco products.
The purpose of this online survey is to assess the potential impact of proposed smoke control measures on mainland inbound tourism.
Last month, the Hong Kong government announced that it will implement 10 short-term measures to reduce the city's smoking rate from the current 9.1% to 7.8% next year. If the legislature passes these measures, additional restrictions will be imposed on the consumption of tobacco-related products, including a complete ban on flavored cigarettes and smoking alternatives.
After evaluating the survey results, the Chairman of the Liberal Party, Peter Shiu Ka-fai, urged the government to reconsider and modify certain anti-smoking measures. He argued that these measures not only limit the freedom of choice for Hong Kong residents but also deter tourists from visiting the city, ultimately impacting the tourism industry and local economy.
We are not saying that we do not support all of the 10 measures, some we support, but some are too extreme.
Although the survey is targeted towards Mainland Chinese tourists, from my understanding, many Asian countries commonly use similar tobacco products, therefore this ban may deter other tourists from visiting.
We are concerned that if mint-flavored cigarettes and candy/fruit-flavored cigarettes are further banned, more people will be unwilling to come.
On April 30, 2022, Hong Kong has banned the import and sale of alternative smoking products such as e-cigarettes.
However, if the latest proposed measures are enacted, individuals will also be prohibited from using alternative smoking products and flavored tobacco products.
Director of the Health Department, Lo Chi Kwong, expressed that the smoking ban will not affect the tourism industry, as tourists "do not come to Hong Kong to smoke.
However, Mr. Shao Jiahui stated yesterday that his concern is the potential inconvenience to individuals that the ban may bring.
Allan Zeman, chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong Group, stated that many bars and restaurants in Lan Kwai Fong rely on the sale of flavored hookah for a significant portion of their business and revenue. He expressed understanding for the efforts of the health department in implementing these measures.
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