Hong Kong has sought the help of Australian former rugby union star Nick “Honey Badger” Cummins to attract visitors back — albeit using footage filmed before the COVID-19 pandemic, when masks were not compulsory.
The territory’s tourism industry has been widely wiped out by pandemic border controls that have left it internationally isolated.
It recorded just 76,000 arrivals in the first half of the year, down from 65 million for all of 2018.
Photo: Bloomberg
However, Hong Kong is gearing up for what it is billing as a grand reopening early next month, to coincide with the Rugby Sevens tournament and a banking summit.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board’s latest campaign has raised eyebrows for the picture it paints of a territory absent of many strict pandemic curbs that — unlike in much of the world — are still in place.
In three videos released on Wednesday, Cummins, a reality TV personality renowned during his playing career for his on-field aggression and colorful post-match interviews, takes in various tourist sites.
“I can’t wait for Aussies to explore Hong Kong like I have,” Cummins enthused in the news release announcing the ads.
However, masks, which remain compulsory in Hong Kong for virtually all public settings, were nowhere to be seen in the ads, nor was there any sign of the ubiquitous app used to scan entry into venues.
One of the restaurants Cummins visits, a once-legendary establishment called Tung Po, was shut down by officials just last month over a tenancy dispute.
A Tourism Board spokesperson told Agence France-Presse that the videos were shot in January 2020 and came with a disclaimer that “scenes and visuals in all promotional materials were made for advertising and creative purposes only.”
Hong Kong last month scrapped more than two years of mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals, long after regional tourist rivals such as Singapore and Bangkok.
However, visitors are still not allowed to enter bars or restaurants for the first three days and must undergo multiple COVID-19 tests.
Public gatherings of more than four people are still banned.
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