TOURISTS WITH NO SPENDING POWER OR INVESTORS LOOKING FOR INVESTMENTS IN HONG KONG? LOOKING TO XXXX THEIR PORTFOLIOS.
- Hans Ebert
- Jan 3
- 3 min read
Tourists or investors? It’s something of a chicken and egg question that seems to keep slipping through the Humpty Dumpty cracks when it comes to talking about the priorities in creating a financially secure and happy Hong Kong.
Tourism numbers might look good, but where are most of the tourists from and do they have spending power?
Let me answer this: Whatever is said or written, Hong Kong is NOT attracting tourists with this much needed SPENDING POWER and which is why the local retail sector has been Oliver Twisted for so long and with so many businesses that were so uniquely Hong Kong forced to close their doors.
Investors interested in the city as an investment are who matter and which is why the red Tai Ping carpet was rolled out so quickly a couple of years ago for a supposed Prince who was said to be from the powerful Maktoum family in Dubai.
Despite the fawning over this person who might have looked the part and promised some very important local dim sums to invest billions in Hong Kong and even opened up an office in the city replete with a female CEO- Eleanor Mak- known to some of us and who has popped up here and there with different titles, the Maktoum family quickly demanded that their name not be mentioned in anything to do with this character.
There was something of “The Amazing Mr Ripley” about him, who, after making a quick exit from Hong Kong to supposedly attend to “family business” in Dubai and a promise to be back, never returned, especially when it was discovered that he had an alter ego as a wannabe pop singer in the Philippines.
There are many more unanswered questions about this princely fairytale that has all the makings of a movie, but more important is what could make anyone with the business nous and financial resources see in Hong Kong as being a good investment?
This is not only a serious question, it’s something needed to attract investors and with Hong Kong having a very strong and real unique product personality that is not just another bowl of chow fan.
Attracting tourists without any spending power might be needed to keep numbers ticking over, but numbers don’t buy anything.
In a world where grifters are becoming increasingly sophisticated and continuing to scam people out of millions through cold calls, questions have been continued to be raised being raised about how these people actually have millions?
Surely, there’s a need in Hong Kong for those with the experience to see through smoke and mirrors and who can also help add value to the city.
Frankly speaking, it’s quite obvious to some of us that 2026 should FINALLY see something like an independent new entrepreneurs club comprising those with the understanding of what the new Hong Kong could be, have the necessary roller decks and the ability to walk the talk and close the deal.
The countdown to 2026 with Air Supply on its last legs of their 50th Anniversary and other bibs and bobs of no real consequence might have seen “a surge” in tourism, but what exactly did they buy- and where did so many Hongkongers go to spend their money?
With rather messy directions on how to get to where whatever was happening, Hong Kong looking lost, confused and not the least bit professional and inviting to those tourists with real spending power.
But even if this were to happen, where and on what in Hong Kong is there for them to spend money?
Born in Ceylon, Hans Ebert is an award winning advertising executive whose powerful campaign to gain the Right Of Abode in the United Kingdom for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong won Gold at the London Advertising Awards.
He also helped launch McDonald’s in Hong Kong, created the Happy Wednesday brand for the HKJC, was part of the team to launch STARTV and MTV in Asia plus ran the International divisions of Universal Music and EMI Music in Asia.
As a journalist, he has interviewed every iconic personalities from Billy Joel, legendary music producer Quincy Jones, and actor Peter Sellers to working on music for David Bowie, Robbie Williams and Gorillaz.
He also coined the term Canto Pop when writing for Billboard magazine.
He has a penchant for women who remind him of Diane Keaton.
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