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South China Morning Post

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Inside the crazy New York queues where people wait for hours for Insta-cred

In front of L’industrie Pizzeria, as at many other New York restaurants and shops, customers queue up behind barriers – in this case, all to grab a prized pizza slice. Not everyone in America’s biggest city finds standing in line to be a chore. The power of social media trends means that for some, waiting for hours is an attraction in itself. “It’s gotten pretty crazy in the city recently,” said food influencer Ali Chilton, who has 168,000 followers on Instagram. “Some would blame me for the...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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'Incentives needed to boost tourism to Central Asia'

Direct flights and longer visa-free access for travellers will help unleash the potential of tourism across Central Asia, industry representatives said as Chief Executive John Lee concludes his visit to the landlocked region on Friday. SAR passport holders can travel to both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan visa-free, but the length of stay per visit is "borderline", according to Sunny Yip, director of Hong Kong travel agency Goldjoy Travel. Currently, Hong Kong permanent residents can stay in Kazakhstan up to 14 days each time, and 10 days in Uzbekistan. "These countries have a great deal of historical sites. From one site to another takes half a day or more by road," Yip said in an interview with RTHK. "If the countries could consider having 30 days visa-free, which is quite common for Hong Kong travellers to other countries, it would be very advantageous." But he said the real game-changer would be the introduction of direct flights. Hong Kong has never had direct air services to Uzbekistan, while Air Astana, Kazakhstan's flag carrier, used to operate flights between the SAR and Almaty before Covid. Lee on Tuesday announced that a Hong Kong carrier will start operating services to Almaty from the first quarter of 2027, with more details to follow. Sardor Nuritdinov, general director of Marco Polo Central Asia Travel in Uzbekistan, explained the importance of direct flights. "Most number of people travelling to Uzbekistan [from Hong Kong], they are 65-plus-year-old elderly people. For them, the biggest issue for them is the flight time and extra hassle in getting to the destination," he said. "If there is a direct flight ... it will at least increase the number of travellers to Uzbekistan in the first year already at least 10 times than what is right now." Yip said Hong Kong businesses can also actively participate in the development of tourism-related industries in Central Asia. "I would expect our chief executive to encourage more Hong Kong investment into hotel sectors," he said. "The airports are relatively basic. Development will be important to increase capacity." Nuritdinov agreed, noting that while Tashkent has no shortage of five-star hotels, cities like Samarkand and Bukhara lack premium accommodation. "Travellers from Hong Kong, they prefer more comfort compared to what can be offered in Uzbekistan at the moment in terms of accommodation," he said. With China emerging as a major market, Nuritdinov said Putonghua-speaking local guides remain scarce. "The local universities are also starting to think we need to add Chinese language as a course to the classes in the university," he said. "But I think it's a long way ahead. I'm thinking like five, 10 years ahead." Despite these challenges, both Nuritdinov and Yip see enormous potential in the region's tourism industry. Instability in the Middle East, they say, could also drive tourists to Central Asia. Nuritdinov recommended immersive experiences beyond historical sites, be it cooking Kazakhstan's national dish plov with a local family, silk embroidery workshops or dance lessons. Edited by Raymond Yeung

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Celebrations breathe more fire into dragon boat races

A record number of teams will join this month's Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races as the event is upgraded to mark its 50th anniversary, organisers said on Tuesday. The Hong Kong Tourism Board and Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association said the races between June 27 and 28 will have more than 220 teams and 4,500 competitors from 16 regions and countries, including Indonesia which will make its debut. As part of the golden jubilee celebrations, there will be an invitational cup featuring six local fishermen teams competing in wooden dragon boats, while the winners of nine main events will also battle it out for the title of "ultimate champions". The races in Victoria Harbour are part of a 13-day Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival that will be held at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade between June 19 and July 1. Other activities will include cultural heritage workshops, such as rice dumpling and fish net making, and a virtual reality dragon boat paddling experience. “With the event entering the golden jubilee, we have jointly upgraded the event as the International Dragon Boat Festival," tourism board chairman Peter Lam said. "No only will the duration of the event be extended, the scale of the races is larger than previous years. The entertainment experience will also be enhanced to make the event more appealing.” Edited by Thomas McAlinden

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Economy shows resilience as AI electronic exports boom

Financial Secretary Paul Chan said on Monday Hong Kong’s economy remained resilient when it moved into the second quarter. This, he said, followed robust growth of 5.9 percent in gross domestic product in the first quarter. Speaking at a meeting of the Legislative Council’s financial affairs panel, Chan said the SAR saw year-on-year growth in merchandise exports of nearly 43 percent in April, driven by export of AI-related electronics products. The city also welcomed more tourists in April and during the Labour Day Golden Week holiday, in addition to seeing improvements in the labour market. However, Chan warned of uncertainties brought about by the Middle East stalemate. "Although the conflict has limited impact on Hong Kong’s economy, it has pushed up international oil prices and inflation pressure," he said. "The ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran is not on solid ground. If tensions escalate again, it is expected to exacerbate volatility in global financial markets, weaken external demand and pose downside risks to global and local economic outlook. "But strong global demand for advanced electronics and AI-related products is expected to help boost exports." Chan also said Hong Kong exports of services would remain robust with tourism booming, cross-border financial activities thriving and demand for business services remaining stable. He also urged the retail and catering sectors to transform themselves to match new consumption trends. "Consumption patterns have changed and people’s expectations are different from before," Chan said. "As a result, some of the big traditional restaurants may find it difficult to survive in the current environment if they continue with their past practices," he said. "At the same time, however, there are distinctive shops and cafes opening up in many districts, and some of them are doing well. Therefore, we encourage the industry to transform." Chan said the government would offer assistance in funding and training to aid in the sectors' transformation. Edited by Thomas McAlinden

South China Morning Post

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French police arrest 780 after violent Paris Saint-Germain celebrations

French police detained 780 people involved in violent clashes in Paris and other French cities that erupted on Saturday night after Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League title. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 57 officers were wounded, with most suffering minor injuries, as football fans set off fires and vandalised shops. One small group even tried to storm a Paris police station. Nuñez said at a news conference on Sunday that “the situation has been largely brought under...

South China Morning Post

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Death of Hongkong Post? Mounting losses, dwindling demand cast shadow over service

In Hong Kong’s busy commercial area of Causeway Bay, a post office located in a major shopping centre served just a few dozen customers during lunch on Thursday. Across 90 minutes, when nearby restaurants and shops were filled with residents pressed for time, the post office stayed mostly empty, its workers outnumbering the people they were serving. Hongkong Post is struggling with the same existential threat facing other traditional mail service operators worldwide: how to stay relevant in a...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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'Hidden disengagement raises student dropout risk'

An NGO on Thursday called on schools to be more proactive when it comes to lowering the risk of secondary school dropouts. Researchers from the Hong Kong Christian Service polled nearly 2,000 secondary school students between February and March this year and found that one in 12 students were at risk of what they described as hidden disengagement – when pupils attend school but display withdrawn or passive behaviour. The NGO's service head of children and youth service, Susanne Choi, said students with hidden disengagement are more likely to drop out. "Dropping out is a gradual process that unfolds over time," she told RTHK. "Hidden disengagement often serves as a crucial yet easily overlooked warning sign before [a] student completely detaches from school." Choi said there are a few behavioural indicators that can be easily seen among students with hidden disengagement at school. "They may spend recess or lunch time alone in school, [be] tardy, absent, or leave early... and also have zero extracurricular participation in school. "These elements reflect a student's sense of belonging, school involvement and overall psychological safety," she added. The survey also revealed that hidden disengagement stems from a mix of factors. "In our findings, bullying in school, students with special educational needs and emotional distress are the major factors leading to hidden disengagement of students," Choi said. She added that schools should do more to identify these traits earlier and proactively approach these students. "If the hidden disengaged behaviour has not been addressed earlier, the students may be losing their connection to school, motivation to learn and peer support, gradually distancing themselves from the campus environment," she said. Choi suggested that schools should enhance one-on-one peer support, organise social group workshops and offer individual counselling for students with hidden disengagement. Edited by Aaron Tam

South China Morning Post

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How urban renewal can keep Yau Ma Tei’s street life alive

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] In Yau Ma Tei, street life, wet markets, night-time food stalls, small workshops and informal gathering spaces are tightly interwoven, giving the district its distinctive character and strong sense of place. A young cross-disciplinary team with background in architecture and urban planning believes this vibrant fabric can be strengthened through holistic urban renewal. Their proposal, “Heartbeat of the City, Voices of...

South China Morning Post

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Can Hong Kong airport’s Terminal 2 take off as 11 Skies, rivals pose challenges?

Inside a massive retail and office complex called 11 Skies next to Hong Kong International Airport, all 800 shops sit vacant and only two of 120 food outlets were open earlier this month. They were supposed to begin operating in the 3.8 million sq ft development – equivalent in size to about 53 football pitches – by last year. A recent South China Morning Post visit to 11 Skies found it largely empty, with areas cordoned off and store spaces boarded up with hoardings featuring adverts for the...

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타임라인 키워드

Inside the crazy New York queues where people wait for hours for Insta-cred

'Incentives needed to boost tourism to Central Asia'

Celebrations breathe more fire into dragon boat races

Economy shows resilience as AI electronic exports boom

French police arrest 780 after violent Paris Saint-Germain celebrations

Death of Hongkong Post? Mounting losses, dwindling demand cast shadow over service

'Hidden disengagement raises student dropout risk'

How urban renewal can keep Yau Ma Tei’s street life alive

Can Hong Kong airport’s Terminal 2 take off as 11 Skies, rivals pose challenges?