VROOOM!!! IT’S TIME FOR HONG KONG TO OVERTAKE THE COMPETITION…
- Hans Ebert
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
It’s a question been asked by me so often that I’m giving myself a migraine: What is the brand personality of Hong Kong in 2026 that is being sold and marketed to attract international tourism- TRULY international tourism like Singapore is succeeding in doing- and what is the carrot being dangled to attract those interested in investing in the city?
No investors in Hong Kong and we will continue to go round and round the mulberry bush with more talkfests and “networking” and conferences that yield very little fruit but plenty of hot air from the usual winded suspects.
The editorial above published in the South China Morning Post over the weekend didn’t exactly break new ground. It was basically a summary of the newspaper’s exclusive interview with Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, the city’s head of tourism, culture and sports, who talked about Hong Kong having to work “bigger and better” to attract overseas visitors, but with nothing that said how any of this was going to happen.
Let’s face it, we’re too polite to say that we have heard all this before and still have no bananas- just more plates of warmed over waffles and empty promises not getting us anywhere
Personally speaking, Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Jockey Club squandered a number of opportunities when I introduced Simon Fuller to the Club late last year together with the pop group he manages called Now United.
Here was the head of X1X Entertainment and the global British star maker behind the successful Beckham brand, the Idol franchise which includes “American Idol”, and someone who, at one time or another, has managed the careers of everyone from Sir Lewis Hamilton and the Spice Girls to Andy Murray and the great Annie Lennox plus owns the Academy of Pop.
Simon Fuller is also someone with a genuine love for Hong Kong, and wants to help in anyway that he can to have this amazing city be seen as one of the best places to visit and do business.
Having him backing Hong Kong will also be a massive public relations coup making global news.
And? Well, if no one sees what this means and takes up an offer to bring on board a person with a proven track record who can use his Rolodex and team to give Hong Kong the international image it needs, nothing will change.
The pie will remain half baked and there will be no motivation for talent in the city to try harder because they cannot see what lies ahead and how we’re going to get there.
Let’s have some of those “bold choices and daring decisions” that keep being mentioned .
I first met Simon almost two decades ago when I was with EMI Music and he was looking at discovering and launching China’s first Pop Princess.
This was a brilliant East-West reality series- a highly entertaining ping pong talent search that started in China, brought the winner to the West for mentoring and working with some of the biggest names in the music industry at the time, and then show the winner’s triumphant return to the motherland.
I don’t know why this still can’t be done- and with Hong Kong included in the mix?
Fast forward to 2026 and despite the roll call of “mega” successes that we all know about, Hong Kong is lacking that international pizazz, because I really don’t think many in the city know pizzazz from pizzas.
Somewhere along the way, maybe we lost the plot or just gave up trying?
Singapore might not appear to be the most exciting international city in the world, but with events like the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, the Singapore FinTech Festival, being the media gateway for Southeast Asia and also the most conveniently located city for artists like Taylor Swift to hold concerts for their regional fans to attend, because it attracts their hundreds and thousands of their fans to one city, which creates more business opportunities, especially for Singapore’s hospitality trade and nightlife.
Singapore is also leading the chasing pack in the region by the proverbial mile, because it is truly multi cultural and with an extremely high standard of English being spoken.
As for Hong Kong, it’s either still playing catch-up or else is trying to convince itself that it’s doing a fantastic job by trotting out KPI numbers needed for some committee validation.
Any job done with passion, empathy and creativity and a commitment to keep improving and being the very best is something that’s always always always going to be ongoing. It’s how one changes with the times and helps create a better world.
For decades, us longtime Hong Kong Belongers have been reminded of the city’s “Can Do” spirit.
Maybe this should become a “Can Do Even Bigger And Better” call to action and where results speak louder than more words?
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