Hong Kong Tells Residents to ‘Smile More’ to Revive Tourism

Hong Kong Secretary for Culture, Sports, and Tourism Kevin Yeung speaks at the Hospitality Campaign Launch Ceremony at the Central Government Office in Hong Kong on June 3, 2024. Credit – Vernon Yuen—NurPhoto/Getty Images

Hong Kong, the Chinese enclave that’s still struggling to revive its tourism economy post-pandemic and in the wake of a Beijing-influenced crackdown on civil liberties, has taken a new approach to wooing visitors: curbing its residents’ reputation for rudeness.

Earlier this week, the city government launched a new campaign to promote politeness. A “handful of black sheep,” culture, sports, and tourism secretary Kevin Yeung said, have made headlines for behavior that “tarnishes our image.” Unfriendly service…