Baby Panda Frenzy Is Hong Kong’s Big Bet to Get Tourists Back

  • Tourism industry has struggled to return to pre-Covid high
  • China’s weakening economy is hurting spending by visitors

Twin panda cubs in their enclosure in Hong Kong, on Feb. 7. 

Photographer: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

From harbor-front sculptures to posters and even a pyrotechnic drone show, Hong Kong is in a panda frenzy.

The city’s six pandas are front and center in the government’s latest effort to boost its lackluster tourism industry and revive an economy that’s struggling to regain momentum.