Am I imagining it or are there many more Indians now in Hong Kong, a Western expatriate friend—herself a consummate “curry lover”—asked me recently.
Am I imagining it or are there many more Indians now in Hong Kong, a Western expatriate friend—herself a consummate “curry lover”—asked me recently. She had a point: in recent months, even I’ve observed that there appears to have been an exponential increase in the number of Indians visiting or relocating to Hong Kong. Up until now, I had only anecdotal evidence to back this up: sightings of distinctly Indian families, with their distinctly mannerisms, at iconic tourist spots and on the Star Ferry—which in itself was started up by an Indian businessman in the 19th century...
The latest arrival figures put out by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, however, offers documentary proof of this trend. It shows that tourist arrivals from India for the period from January to July 2008 were up by 17.1% over the same period of the previous year, which is among the highest increases for any country. The opening of new direct airline services between Hong Kong and many Indian cities may have contributed to this uptick in Hong Kong-bound travellers from India, despite the sharp rise in air fuel surcharges in recent months.
But, sadly, says a senior executive in a reputed carrier, the return services—to India aren’t exactly running to capacity, and that’s playing havoc with airlines’ economics. “It isn’t just that the Hong Kong people prefer to holiday in Europe or America, there’s a palpable lack of tourist interest in India, largely because of security concerns,” he adds. “When you have bombs going off in your cities, as they did recently, it’s difficult to hard-sell the concept of Amazing India!”
Another set of figures—the fall in the number of mainland Chinese citizens migrating to H ong Kong—has census officials worried that the city’s population may be ageing too fast for its own good. Under a one-way permit scheme that’s aimed at attracting talent from mainland China, Hong Kong allows up to 150 permit holders a day, but in recent years that daily quota isn’t being met. Rather than the young, educated and skilled people it wants under the scheme, Hong Kong is drawing only the elderly. But Hong Kong is kicked that at least two young and glamourous stars from mainland China will be moving to Hong Kong: Guo Jingjing, China’s diving queen who set the pool alight in Beijing, is believed to be dating a Hong Kong tycoon, and there’s speculation of a wedding later this year. Likewise, Tang Wei, the sexy star from acclaimed director Ang Lee’s latest offering, Lust, Caution, will become a Hong Kong resident under a Quality Migrant Admissin Scheme.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}