After Hong Kong fully resumed customs clearance earlier this year, the Hong Kong Government vigorously preached the story of Hong Kong to the outside world and strived to recover the economy as soon as possible.However, the number of travelers in mainland China, which has poured into Hong Kong in the past half of the year, has not been as expected. In addition to the disappointment of people in the tourism industry, many people have also remembered the early prosperity of the initial implementation of Hong Kong and Macau's free travel 20 years ago.
In the first half of 2003, the epidemic of Shas was raging in Hong Kong, Hong Kong's hundred industry was depressed, and economic development fell into an unprecedented dilemma.In response to this issue, the Central Government of China immediately issued a series of support policies, including the four cities in Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Foshan in Guangdong Province in July of that year.Essence
After the implementation of the free travel of Hong Kong and Macau, the effect was quickly immediate.A large number of mainlanders travel to Hong Kong to travel. During this, accommodation, dining, sightseeing, shopping, driving the development of Hong Kong tourism, retail, catering and hotels, and promoted the rapid exit of the Hong Kong economy out of the valley.
At that time, I interviewed a new immigrant in the mainland. He had been a chef in Hong Kong and saw that the central government was traveling to Hong Kong through freedom. It is expected that the Hong Kong food industry will be full of business opportunities in the future.As a result, I quickly tasted the sweetness and made a sum of money.
The Hong Kong people later opened three restaurants in one breath in one breath, and each made a lot of money; he put the money he earned into real estate and obtained greater returns.It is reported that this person has retired early in the past few years to enjoy life.
In fact, Hong Kong and Macau freely not only allows ordinary Hong Kong people to gain benefits, but also brings unprecedented economic benefits to the entire society of Hong Kong.According to data from the Hong Kong Tourism Development Bureau, after years of development, the number of tourists visiting Hong Kong has increased year by year from 6.83 million in 2002, reaching the highest peak in 2018. The number of people in the year is about 50.8 million, an increase of more than six times.The ratio of tourism in Hong Kong's GDP also increased from 2.5%in 2003 to 4.5%in 2018.
As the number of freedoms increases year by year, the negative impact of this policy on Hong Kong society has gradually emerged.Free travel passengers went to Hong Kong to search for brand -name luxury goods, and later expanded to a large number of daily necessities, which led to rising daily necessities in Hong Kong.
At the same time, the owners of the shops had a booming business and a significant increase in the rent of the store. As a result, the chain effect was caused, and the rents of nearby stores had risen. Many neighborhood shops were eliminated.Many Hong Kong people have also attributed the rise of residential prices on the policy of freedom.
In addition, Hong Kong's public space, public transportation, and restaurants have also begun to accommodate a large number of tourists, and they have saturation; coupled with factors such as living habits and cultural differences, the contradictions between the people of Lu and Hong Kong have deepened.
Since 2012, some extremists in Hong Kong have repeatedly provoked conflict with mainland tourists, launched activities such as "locust -driven", "official", and "kicking", and insulting Luke in the street with radical operations.During the anti -repair campaign in 2019, this "local" trend of thought has evolved into a "Hong Kong independence" behavior, intended to cut the mainland and independently of Hong Kong.
During the epidemic in the past three years, tourists visited by mainland China and foreign countries have fallen lines directly, and more and more Hong Kong people have finally understood the importance of the tourism industry to Hong Kong's economy.Since the resumption of customs clearance in Lu and Hong Kong earlier this year, Hong Kong society has rarely heard the voice of opposition to mainland travelers.However, the disadvantages of insufficient reception capacity in the tourism industry have gradually revealed, and it is time to make a comprehensive review.
I still remember that in the early days of free operation, only famous attractions such as Golden Bauhinia Square, Peak and Ocean Park, which are familiar with the mainlanders.In the past 20 years, traveling in Hong Kong has become the commonplace of many mainlands, especially the people of Guangdong Province, and shopping is no longer the only important theme. In -depth experience of "Hong Kong -style life" is the most popular way of tourism.
In other words, 20 years after the implementation of Hong Kong and Macau's free travel, it is not time to continue the use of "old attractions, old customers, and old ideas" to continue to use "old attractions, old customers, and old ideas".It is necessary for the Hong Kong Government to develop more tourism resources and create more new highlights that belong to the local tourism industry to attract passengers.
On the other hand, when mainland passengers continue to increase and make Hong Kong's tourism business restore the pre -epidemic level, the official must make a comprehensive discussion on the future development of the tourism industry.
In the field of international political and economic disciplines, whether the close relationship between the two economies in trade is a good or bad thing, it has always been a matter of argument.The theory of trade peace advocates that free trade and economic interdependence can help peace between the country.People who start with national security believe that if the trade dependence between the two parties is over, the uneasy sense of uneasiness will be stronger and stronger, which will bring a threat of war.
Between the two very different views, there is an alternative view that there is a U -shaped relationship between trade and peace.Trade exchanges are very small or very much. It will not have a positive effect on peaceful coexistence, and even prone to conflict.The trade between the two economies is best to maintain a reasonable intermediate level in order to promote the healthy development of the two countries.
From the past experience, Hong Kong and Macau's free travel is also facing similar problems.There are too few free travelers in Hong Kong, or the increasing number of people is more disadvantaged.The Hong Kong Government needs to plan ahead, study Hong Kong's passenger carrying capacity as soon as possible, and pursue economic diversified dollars.
