Visitors flock to local diners

CHA chaan tengs (茶餐廳) – traditional Hong Kong diners – have become the new attraction to mainland visitors, rather than theme parks, said a trade body.

The Hong Kong Tourism Association (香港旅遊促進會) said ahead of the Labour Day ‘golden week’ (五一黃金周) that tourists have lost interest in the more established sightseeing spots, such as Wong Tai Sin Temple (黃大仙廟), Disneyland (迪士尼樂園) and Ocean Park (海洋公園).

To adapt, local tours that were prepared for the golden week were instead passing through Central and certain museums – including the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (香港文化博物館) in Sha Tin.

Executive director Timothy Chui Ting-pong (總幹事崔定邦) said more mainland middle class visitors have come to Hong Kong in recent years and they are interested in exploring Hong Kong’s unique colonial past and cha chaan teng culture.

To cater to such preferences, many travel agencies are organising ‘in-depth tours’, taking the visitors to see places rich in local fl avour to experience the Hong Kong lifestyle. These tours cover spots such as the Central promenade, Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum (孫中山博物館) and Chi Lin Nunnery (志蓮淨苑). Night tours of the Victoria Harbour have also proved highly popular.

To boost tour bookings, the association urged guides to take tourists to shops offering local delicacies instead of ‘lacklustre’ local sightseeing spots.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 2 May 2017)

Hong Kong-style diner
http://goo.gl/zUgaHq

Hong Kong Tourism Board work plan for 2017-18
http://goo.gl/OnvG88