Bustling Hong Kong back in business

Even though offline activities have gradually resumed since the pandemic, people have become used to online convenience. As a result, a mix of online and offline economic activities will be the trend in the post-pandemic era, Cheung said, adding that in view of this, business operators and service providers should rethink their strategies.

Some companies are now posting bigger rises in profits. For example, those of Lan Kwai Fong Group, a property investment and management company, have risen continuously in recent months. Allan Zeman, chairman of the group, said that as of the middle of last month, its business had risen by 20 percent compared with the pandemic period.

Zeman estimates that business activity in Hong Kong this year will return to about 70 percent of the pre-pandemic level.

He expects a full recovery by late next year, as many sectors in Hong Kong, including retail, catering, services, hotels and tourism, face a labor shortage.

Zeman, known as "the father of Lan Kwai Fong", one of Hong Kong's most popular nightlife areas and home to hundreds of restaurants and bars, said, "Recruiting people is the hardest thing for every restaurant and bar right now."

Wong said many wedding banquets planned during the pandemic were postponed until this year, worsening the staffing shortage in the catering industry.

Before the pandemic, one waiter served one or two tables for such a banquet held at a restaurant, but now, a single waiter has to cater to five tables, lowering the quality of service, Wong said.

The same problem is hindering recovery in the city's tourism industry. Chui, the Hong Kong Tourism Association executive director, said the industry needs more tour guides and bus drivers.

Cathay Pacific Group CEO Ronald Lam Siu-por said the staffing shortage is also the biggest challenge for the aviation industry, which lacks flight attendants, ground staff and pilots whose licenses expired during the pandemic.

Local media reports said Hong Kong lost nearly 190,000 workers over the past three years.

Peter Shiu Ka-fai, lawmaker for wholesale and retail sector, said the city still needs about 40,000 workers in the retail and wholesale industry. He suggested it follow the example of Macao by importing workers from mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area on a daily basis.

Shiu said the government could set a quota for imported workers and issue two-year visas for them. To protect the local workforce, the quota would be subject to change if the local unemployment rate rose or if the economy worsened, he said.