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Hong Kong’s lifestyle is widely appreciated in Southeast Asia
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Hong Kongers can take some pride in the way the city is perceived by a very influential source: Southeast Asian middle-income earners.
They beat a path to Hong Kong’s door as tourists and for business, particularly counting the city’s convenient location, its international outlook and its commercial services as a “plus.”
Southeast Asian travellers and business visitors like Hong Kong’s proximity to the Chinese mainland, while appreciating the city’s cosmopolitan outlook.
And, yes, Hong Kong gets a high rating for its much-lauded shopping and the many brands available, along with the huge choice of restaurants and entertainment venues.
An HKTDC Research survey last June polled middle-income city-dwellers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam for their views on Hong Kong’s lifestyle offerings.
Respondents were asked about their preferred channels for learning about the city’s trends and what they consider to be Hong Kong’s “icons.”
Individuals were chosen because they had some understanding of Hong Kong and represented an economic group that enabled them to appreciate middle-income lifestyles. The survey was confined to respondents with a monthly household income exceeding US$1,000.
They also needed to have travelled to Hong Kong in the past three years, intended to visit Hong Kong the following year, or know people who live in Hong Kong.
The survey confirmed that more than 90 per cent of the respondents felt that the city’s leading lifestyle trendsetters were fashion and accessories, entertainment and travel and leisure, along with food and restaurants.
The survey measured the appeal of Hong Kong products and services among Southeast Asian middle-class consumers. It also examined how Hong Kong products and services compared with those of four other Asian cities: Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul.
Fashion Capital
Hong Kong dominated the survey across six key sectors, ranging from fashion and accessories to travel, restaurants and wealth management.
Tokyo was the undisputed leader when it came to cars, auto accessories, consumer electronics and computer-related items, while Singapore was a strong contender in the areas of travel and leisure, wealth management and medical and pharmaceutical services.
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A majority of Southeast Asians surveyed sees Hong Kong as a shopping destination (photo:
Hong Kong Tourism Board)
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Both Shanghai and Seoul were well-regarded for travel and leisure services; Shanghai was highly considered for cuisine and restaurants, finishing second to Hong Kong.
While 75 per cent of respondents considered Hong Kong “trendy and fashionable,” less than half rated Hong Kong for its brands and styles; even fewer thought it provided value for money or particularly good services.
In the area of travel and leisure, more than 80 per cent viewed Hong Kong as a shopping destination, with just over half noting its theme parks and sightseeing spots. Only 35 per cent of respondents thought Hong Kong’s hotels were trendsetting.
On products and services, respondents generally regarded Hong Kong’s “entertainment” and “fashion and accessories” as the top categories for lifestyle-related trends, and they were especially fond of Hong Kong movies. In the fashion sector, bags and handbags held high appeal, followed by shoes and casual wear.
Dim Sum Anyone?
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Hong Kong’s Chinese cuisine is highly rated (photo: Hong Kong Tourism Board) |
Respondents highly rated the Chinese cuisine on offer, while slightly less than half rated Hong Kong’s international cuisine. In the wealth-management category, stock investment services scored 74 per cent over banking services, at 65 per cent.
As to how Southeast Asians tap into Hong Kong’s lifestyle trends, Malaysians and Indonesians favoured movies, TV shows and dramas. In Thailand, the Internet was the main way of tracking Hong Kong trends, followed by TV shows and dramas. In Vietnam, movies provided the main channel, followed by magazines, newspapers and the Internet.
As to the icon that best represents Hong Kong, more than one-third of the respondents chose Hong Kong movie stars and singers. Responses ranged from a high of 42 per cent among Indonesians to a low of 27 per cent among Malaysians.
Lining Them Up
While Southeast Asians felt that Hong Kong predominated in a number of lifestyle categories, when asked which city was the most influential in terms of lifestyle trends, Tokyo came out ahead with 34 per cent, closely followed by Hong Kong with 32 per cent and then Singapore, Seoul and Shanghai. In absolute terms, however, Hong Kong was viewed by most respondents (86 per cent) as the lifestyle trendsetter for Southeast Asia.
In claiming the trendsetting mantle, Hong Kong was viewed by survey respondents as an established financial centre, a nice place to visit and a “shopper’s paradise.” Praise indeed.
For more details, please see the new HKTDC report, “Strengthening Hong Kong’s Position as a Lifestyle Trendsetter in the Region,” which can be ordered at www.hktdc.com/bookshop.
