Protesters paralyze airport as HKSAR chief executive appeals for end to violence

Retail, tourism badly hit

Weeks of protests and violent incidents have dented Hong Kong's retail, catering and tourism sectors, a key part of the local economy.

Business owners and industry insiders expressed growing worries as endless and ever-escalating violence continued to weigh on consumption and deter potential tourists.

"Business has been really bad recently. Sometimes, we don't receive a single guest in hours," said Ben Pui, a lobby manager of a hotel located in Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island.

The occupancy rate for Pui's hotel is currently struggling to reach 70 percent, compared with over 90 percent in past summers, despite a drop of room price to 300 HK dollars ($38.2) from 600.

Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong totaled around 5.14 million in June, dropping by about 770,000 from the figure in May, according to Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Since June, the tourism sector has been hit hard by multiple violent protests, and safety concerns mounted, said Yiu Si-wing, a lawmaker and tourism industry insider, adding that immediate recovery is not likely even if violence ceases soon.

The HKSAR government said earlier this month that the value of total retail sales in June 2019 decreased by 6.7 percent compared with the same month in 2018, as local consumer sentiment turned more cautious and growth in visitor arrivals moderated.

"Every time I heard about a possible protest in the neighborhood, I just closed my shop and took a day off," said a Hong Kong resident surnamed Lau, who runs a small clothing shop in the Causeway Bay shopping district.

"With the chaos, people don't want to hang out and buy things. How can I make money?" Lau said.