Comedian Jimmy O. Yang partnered with tourism body to ‘tell good stories of Hong Kong'

HKFP

4 days ago

Hong Kong-born American stand-up comedian Jimmy O. Yang has become the latest 'marquee' celebrity to partner with the city's tourism body to 'tell good stories of Hong Kong.'
The 37-year-old comedy star, who wrapped up five sold-out shows in the city earlier this month, shared a video on social media on Tuesday featuring some of Hong Kong's most iconic tourist attractions.
It shows the comedian trying char siu – Chinese barbecue pork – at a local restaurant, visiting the Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan, going to a cocktail bar, and riding the Ngong Ping 360 cable car on Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha.
O. Yang, who speaks both English and Cantonese in the clip, says: 'That's why you gotta love Hong Kong, man. All in one place – we saw the mountain, the ocean, the Buddha, we ate the best char siu.'
The one-minute 34-second clip was produced in collaboration with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), a government-funded statutory body tasked with promoting inbound tourism.
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A post shared by Jimmy O Yang 歐陽萬成 (@jimmyoyang)
In a media statement on Tuesday, HKTB said O. Yang was among more than 100 influencers and celebrities from 13 countries and regions it had invited to visit Hong Kong this summer and 'tell good stories of Hong Kong.'
The tourism body called the promotional video featuring the comedian exploring his hometown its 'latest marquee collaboration.'
When contacted by HKFP, a spokesperson at the HKTB said on Tuesday that it had invited O. Yang only to film a video while he was in the city and that it did not pay for his flight or accommodation.
The spokesperson also told HKFP that the tourism body would not disclose its budget or spending on influencer collaborations. O. Yang has not responded to HKFP's enquiries about whether he was paid to film promotional videos with the HKTB.
Prior to the video shared on Tuesday, O. Yang also posted other short clips of him visiting local shops and eateries in the city. It is unclear whether those videos were also in collaboration with the HKTB.
On June 14, the second day of O. Yang's three-day shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law posted two photos on Facebook – one of her at the show and another with the comedian.
The campaign to showcase the city's 'vibrant summer appeal' aimed to collectively reach more than 100 million followers, the HKTB statement added.
According to the annual budget announced in February, the Hong Kong government earmarked more than HK$1.23 billion for the HKTB in the financial year of 2025-26.
The HKTB's annual report 2023/24 stated that the tourism body spent over HK$710 million on 'promotional, advertising and literature expenses.'
The tourism body collaborated with mainland Chinese social media platforms Douyin, Weibo and Xiaohongshu and invited influencers to co-create content about visiting Hong Kong.
It said more than 2,000 industry members, media representatives and key opinion leaders (KOLs) were invited to Hong Kong in 2023.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law told the Legislative Council in April that the tourism body invited 2,600 influencers, KOLs, media and trade partners in 2024, while in the first quarter this year, it invited 650.
American streamer IShowSpeed
However, the HKTB was snubbed by American YouTube streamer IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr, when it tried to offer assistance during his visit to Hong Kong in early April.
'The tourism board actually approached Speed on various arrangements and indicated their willingness to provide assistance, but Speed did not approach the tourism board, so the government did not take any action,' Chief Executive John Lee said.
Watkins, who currently has more than 40 million subscribers on YouTube, was mobbed by fans as he live-streamed his visit in Hong Kong for more than nine and a half hours on April 4, coinciding with Ching Ming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day.
Hong Kong has faced challenges in reviving its tourism industry since lifting years-long Covid restrictions. Visitor numbers have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, with tourism-related sectors citing manpower shortages as a key hurdle to recovery.
The government launched a series of initiatives to boost the economic outlook, including a 'night vibes' campaign in September 2023 involving movie screenings and night markets along the harbourfront.
According to the 2025 budget, overnight visitors are expected to stay an average of 3.2 nights this year. Inbound tourism expenditure is projected to grow by 8 per cent – from HK$198.4 billion to HK$214.4 billion.