Hong Kong Catering Industry Association: Easter Hong Kong catering industry market is sluggish, business decline may reach 30%

The President of the Hong Kong Catering Industry Association, Wong Jiahe, said that during this year's Easter holiday period, the business outlook for the catering industry in Hong Kong is relatively bleak, with a drop in business that was originally expected to be 25% less than usual weekends and Sundays, but now may reach 30%. Some high-end restaurants have experienced even more severe declines in business, up to 40 to 50%. Wong Jiahe stated that the decline in business is mainly due to Hong Kong residents traveling abroad and spending in the mainland, as Easter is not a public holiday in the mainland and there has been no increase in mainland tourists coming to Hong Kong. Spending in the mainland has become a trend, and the industry is not optimistic about the future. He also mentioned that in recent days, there have been fewer people in some traditional busy areas, such as the Yau Tsim Mong district, and with over 1.8 million people leaving Hong Kong in the past few days, it has affected the catering industry. On the other hand, in areas with events happening, such as West Kowloon Cultural District and Kai Tak Sports Park, they have been able to attract crowds, and restaurants in these areas have reported good business. He believes this proves that hosting different events can encourage citizens to go out and spend.