Hong Kong Bars Ailing After Protests and COVID-19

Bar owners in Hong Kong have been struggling with two consecutive crises. First, an public outcry caused by an amendment allowing extradition to China caused widespread protest that started in March and continued to grow in size, sometimes turning violent, for much of the spring and summer. Not much later, the COVID-19 outbreak in China sent the country scrambling to get containment measures in place, again keeping people from visiting the city center and entertainment districts.

Collective bar revenues in the city state were down to $9.2 million in March. In December 2018, bar owners had still earned $21.5 million collectively, according to the Census and Statistics Department Hong Kong.

Despite the extradition bill being withdrawn in September, protests have continued around measures of emergency law and the city state’s democracy movement. This means that the hospitality sector in the city – as well as shopkeepers – have been continuing to lose customers.