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| Tourist arrivals in HK dropped by a massive 40% last month |
With tourist arrivals in Hong Kong
down by a massive 40% last month as a result of weeks of anti-government
protests, everyone in the city is feeling the pinch – including Filipinos who
are in the entertainment and tourism industries.
According to Manuela Lo, chairperson of the Hong Kong
Musicians Union, many hotels have been reducing the nights when they offer live
performances. Special events which have for years, been the lifeblood of many
Filipino musicians, are also being cancelled all over Hong
Kong on an increasingly regular basis.
But Lo says there is not much that HKMU can do to help
members who are affected. “We can’t do anything at the moment, we all know
business has been bad,” she says.
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| Filipino musicians in HK are among the hardest hit by the slump (Photo from HKMU's Facebook page) |
Hermie Santos, a booking agent for entertainers at Ocean Park
This is despite an apparent massive drop in the number of
visitors at both Ocean
Park
A recent Filipino visitor to both amusement parks was amazed
that she and her companion could get on any of the rides without having to
queue, an experience that she never had in all the years that she had visited
both places.
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She had the same experience at the Peak Tram, which most
tourists prefer to take in going up to one of Hong Kong ’s
best known attractions. For the first time in so many years, the queue going
in, which used to snake up to a block away, especially during the weekends, was
nowhere to be seen.
It is the same story with Philippine airlines, which used to
fly the seventh highest number of tourists into Hong Kong
every year. Scenes from the widespread mayhem that have marred what previously
were peaceful weekend protests have all but doused the desire of many Filipinos
to come over for a quick respite.
Philippine Airlines, which used to fly four times daily from
Hong Kong to Manila, has already cut out one flight, and is reportedly
considering stopping services on one return journey. Cebu Pacific Air’s website
shows it has maintained its four flights in and out of Hong
Kong , but perhaps not for long.
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“It’s the same with all other airlines,” said an industry
insider. “People have just stopped coming.” He says the 40% decline cited by
government does not even give an accurate picture of the massive downturn in
tourist arrivals as they do not include border crossings.
Things continue to look grim even with the approach of “Golden
Week”, when Chinese people traditionally go traveling during the long National
Day holiday, which starts Oct 1.
By this time, airlines and hotels would have been swamped
with bookings from Chinese tourists many of whom prefer to do their shopping
for luxury goods in Hong Kong . But none of
this is happening this year because many Mainland tourists reportedly fear they
could be targeted by Hong Kong protesters angry at what they perceive as China
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As a result, occupancy rates at hotels which last year was at
a high 91% on average, have dipped considerably, prompting them to offer as
much as 70% percent reduction in room charges.
The brunt of the slump is also being borne by hotel workers,
77% of whom have been asked to go on unpaid leave for at least three days,
according to media reports. A survey by the Hotels, Food and Beverage Employees
Association also showed 46% of the workers believe their salaries could be cut
by as much as $3,000 per month.
Retailers are also feeling the brunt of the crisis,
including those who cater mainly to migrant workers.
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| Filipino retailers in WorldWide Plaza are hard-hit by fallout from the protests |
They include Joy Tan, a storeowner in WorldWide Plaza
But the worst is yet to come. With the prospect of wage cuts
looming in the horizon, many foreign domestic workers and their supporters fear
they could suffer the same fate. Back in 2003, in the aftermath of the SARS
epidemic, the minimum salary of FDWs was cut by $400, or more than 10% of their
monthly pay then.
Now, with the new minimum wage for FDWs expected to be
announced by the government by the end of the month, there is widespread fear
that salaries could again be cut, or at best, frozen.
But the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, which is pressing
for what it calls a living wage of $5,894 for FDWs, has been at pains trying to
allay such concerns.
AMCB chair Dolores Balladares-Pelaez says, “The number of
employment contracts being processed at the Consulate has remained steady
despite the crisis, so it means the demand is still there, and that employers
are willing to continue paying a just wage to their helpers.”
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