“Frankly, prices in Hong Kong are higher than in other places. We’re spending quite a bit anyway, so it does not make that much difference if there’s a little extra charge,” Chen said. “It would be a different story if it was 10 per cent.”
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced in his budget address last month that the 3 per cent hotel tax would return from January 1 next year, 17 years after the government waived it in 2008.
Chan said the measure would bring in HK$1.1 billion annually for the government. He also pledged to allocate HK$1 billion to improve tourism infrastructure and services to attract more high‑spending overnight visitors.
Defending the move, the finance chief said many neighbouring countries charged visitors a similar tax, and the proposed rate would amount to only 1 per cent of a regular visitor’s…
