Christmas celebrations will be muted in Hong Kong following the city’s deadliest fire in seven decades, business leaders say, as they try to balance the need to generate revenue with public mourning for the 160 victims.
After the inferno that tore through Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on November 26, many parties, gatherings, concerts and ceremonies were either delayed or cancelled as shocked residents were overwhelmed with grief.
But slowly, businesses have started to roll out Christmas promotions, adopting a low-key approach.
“The problem is if you’re too ostentatious, it’s in bad taste,” Allan Zeman, who created the Lan Kwai Fong nightlife hotspot, said.
“I think this month will be kind of a semi-mourning month, so that’s the dilemma that a lot of businesses face. They’ve got to respect what has happened.”
The mood in the city had improved slightly as the public saw that displaced residents were being housed, investigations into the cause of the fire were launched and the government was going “all out” in its relief operations.
“That really helped to get the confidence of people back to go out ... So things are actually not as bad as we feared actually,” Zeman said, adding it would take time for the city to grieve before gradually moving back to normality.
Following the end of the official three-day mourning period on December 1, some large events have returned.
The government resumed the Symphony of Lights show along both sides of Victoria Harbour on December 10.
On the same day, the Tourism Board opened Christmas Town in Central along with an immersive light show, which had been postponed in late November.
But a ceremony marking the launch was scrapped, the Post learned, and the board said event partners would donate proceeds to support those in need.
Swire Properties went ahead with its four-day White Christmas Street Fair at Taikoo Place in Quarry Bay on December 11 and raised funds for different purposes including Tai Po fire relief.
Swire matched every dollar raised for the affected residents and directed the proceeds to Sheng Kung Hui Act of Love 1126 Fire Disaster Support Fund and St James’ Settlement to provide emergency relief and recovery aid.
The Swire Group has also donated HK$10 million (US$1.28 million) to Wang Fuk Court residents.
The Hong Kong Retail Management Association is also working with the board on the promotion of nearly 580 shopping and dining offers covering 7,300 locations between December 1 and January 4, spanning the health and beauty, clothing, tourism, transport, and food and beverage sectors.
The offers, including many buy-one-get-one-free products or meals, cater to locals and tourists.
Zeman said that some companies that initially cancelled their Christmas parties in the wake of the fire were now going ahead.
The companies had already paid a deposit of 50 per cent of the bills but were forgoing big celebrations to hold events in “a refined, quiet way”, he said.
He estimated the pared-down festivities would put the year-on-year increase in business at 10 per cent, as opposed to 20 to 25 per cent.
Zeman also noted that mainland Chinese who were staying away from Japan were coming to Hong Kong. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo have worsened after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested her country could deploy military forces if conflict arises in the Taiwan Strait.
“A lot of mainlanders are not going to Japan and now coming to Hong Kong, and they’re shoppers, so retail last month was actually not bad. In general, there is a recovery,” he said.
Lawmaker Peter Shiu Ka-fai, who has been re-elected to represent the retail sector in the Legislative Council, said the desire to spend had dropped in the past two to three weeks and he foresaw a short, difficult period over Christmas for the industry.
“The impact should only be in the near term, compared with what the industry saw earlier, which was structural,” Shiu said, referring to the trend of Hongkongers choosing to shop across the border. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
