Post by The Dark Knight on Mar 14, 2024 10:05:59 GMT
Taxi wi-fi and 'nice' cabbies pushed for high-end tourism
Uniformed taxi drivers and wi-fi in cabs could be new measures to attract high-end tourists to Hong Kong, former commerce minister Frederick Ma Si-hang said as he sees the city's economy reaching new heights once geopolitical tensions and high interest rates ease.
Speaking at a Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Admiralty, Ma said the SAR can boost tourism by first improving local taxi service to enhance high-end tourists' experience, adding cabbies he met in Japan were "all nice."
He continued: "I don't mean to criticize the taxi drivers, but when I take taxis [in Hong Kong], sometimes I'm frustrated.
"So why can't we have taxis that have, for example, wi-fi in the car... why can't we have uniformed drivers [who would ask] if we need a bottle of water?"
The Standard Channel
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Ma said the SAR needs to work on attracting high-quality tourists.
"What the government is proposing is good - more attractions and fireworks, that's fine. But on top of that, [we need to] think about more basic stuff, like taxis," he said.
Ma also said Hong Kong is strongly backed by Beijing and has a stable financial market, efficient government and independent judicial system.
But the city is still facing several uncertainties, including geopolitical tensions, high interest rates and an unstable mainland economy, he said, adding Hong Kong's economy will improve once these problems are solved.
He also said he is not worried about the SAR government going into debt.
"It is a basic commercial principle that if an individual has a high enough credit rating for him to borrow money successfully, it's a good thing," Ma said.
"Hong Kong always has a high credit rating so I'm not worried. I believe our Financial Secretary [Paul Chan] will also pay attention to this."
On the legislation of Basic Law Article 23, Ma said he does not think the government and lawmakers are rushing it, as the city has been waiting for the law for more than 20 years.
He urged the government to enhance explanation of Article 23 to foreigners to eliminate wrong impression.
www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/11/261207/Taxi-wi-fi-and-%27nice%27-cabbies-pushed-for-high-end-tourism
Uniformed taxi drivers and wi-fi in cabs could be new measures to attract high-end tourists to Hong Kong, former commerce minister Frederick Ma Si-hang said as he sees the city's economy reaching new heights once geopolitical tensions and high interest rates ease.
Speaking at a Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Admiralty, Ma said the SAR can boost tourism by first improving local taxi service to enhance high-end tourists' experience, adding cabbies he met in Japan were "all nice."
He continued: "I don't mean to criticize the taxi drivers, but when I take taxis [in Hong Kong], sometimes I'm frustrated.
"So why can't we have taxis that have, for example, wi-fi in the car... why can't we have uniformed drivers [who would ask] if we need a bottle of water?"
The Standard Channel
More>>
Ma said the SAR needs to work on attracting high-quality tourists.
"What the government is proposing is good - more attractions and fireworks, that's fine. But on top of that, [we need to] think about more basic stuff, like taxis," he said.
Ma also said Hong Kong is strongly backed by Beijing and has a stable financial market, efficient government and independent judicial system.
But the city is still facing several uncertainties, including geopolitical tensions, high interest rates and an unstable mainland economy, he said, adding Hong Kong's economy will improve once these problems are solved.
He also said he is not worried about the SAR government going into debt.
"It is a basic commercial principle that if an individual has a high enough credit rating for him to borrow money successfully, it's a good thing," Ma said.
"Hong Kong always has a high credit rating so I'm not worried. I believe our Financial Secretary [Paul Chan] will also pay attention to this."
On the legislation of Basic Law Article 23, Ma said he does not think the government and lawmakers are rushing it, as the city has been waiting for the law for more than 20 years.
He urged the government to enhance explanation of Article 23 to foreigners to eliminate wrong impression.
www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/11/261207/Taxi-wi-fi-and-%27nice%27-cabbies-pushed-for-high-end-tourism