Defined for so long by its hard-nosed business sector, Hong Kong suddenly became the byword for a new and deadly disease. Now, it has its chance to repair the damage. And it will take more than an image of a normally grim-faced financial secretary Antony Leung celebrating with a beer at the city's best-known entertainment district to repair the devastation to its reputation. So long as images of locals in masks are beamed around the world by news channels, Hong Kong will be seen as a sick city whatever the WHO may say.
Still, the lifting of the advisory, instituted on April 2, is of critical importance; it's the first piece in the process of rebuilding local and overseas confidence in visiting, shopping, dining and doing business in the city. The enormity of the task ahead will require the city's marketers - whether they're in the business of marketing tourism, conferences or business and investment opportunities - to unite behind one succinct and powerful message to the world. This time around, it isn't just a simple matter of extolling Hong Kong virtues over regional rivals, but the considerably more difficult job of shifting negative global perceptions.
And given the extent of bruising it has sustained from the health crisis, Hong Kong cannot afford the luxury of supporting too many messages as it did in its recent past. It is understood that the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is working on a new slogan in place of its current 'City of life' and unfortunate offshoots such as 'Hong Kong is it' and 'Hong Kong will take your breath away'. One can only hope it will be the message that the city unites behind as a way of ensuring the promised HK$1 billion (US$128 million) war chest allocated by the Government for the recovery - sizeable though it is - will go considerably further. As Mark Amdur of On Creative, who submitted recovery recommendations unsolicited to Government officials (Media, May 16), puts it: "There is no need to segment our target as tourists or business travellers; there is just one target group - all human beings who want to come to Hong Kong but are frightened of Sars." With its years of work and successes in promoting and marketing the city, the HKTB must take the lead role in the recovery push over other Government agencies, including the Trade Development Board - at least for the critical months ahead.
Hong Kong has paid a heavy economic price, possibly forfeiting a highly-anticipated economic rebound this year. It's time to put egos and vested interests aside to ensure that its economic misery does not last a day longer.