The newly revamped night market on Hong Kong’s Temple Street has helped drum up businesses and boost footfall at the Jordan attraction, though most of those visiting are locals, a sector representative has said.

“During these early stages of the market, I hope we can bring more tourists in,” Raymond Chan Kam-wing, chairman of the Yaumatei Temple Street Association of Hawkers and Shop Operators, told a radio programme on Monday.

“Currently, we have observed about 70 per cent of visitors are locals, while 30 per cent are tourists. I hope this trend can shift.”

Chan also said that he hoped non-locals, especially those from mainland China, would see online promotions about the market and visit when in Hong Kong.

“The goal is to bring their ratio up to 50 per cent gradually, and then to 70 per cent of the total visitors,” he said.

He added the market was intended to give the city an additional tourist attraction as existing vendors were mostly selling goods targeting foreign visitors.

Hundreds of people flocked to the long-awaited Temple Street night market in Kowloon that opened on Friday to enjoy a range of local delicacies sold at more than 30 stalls.

Tasty debut as crowds flock to Hong Kong’s revamped Temple Street night market

The night bazaar, which runs from 2pm to 11pm each day, is initially set to last for six months, with authorities planning to conduct a review on footfall and visitor reactions afterwards to determine the next step, according to Tourism Board executive director Dane Cheng Ting-yat.

When asked about complaints by existing vendors that the night market had diverted visitors’ attention away from them, Chan said that most businesses still welcomed the bazaar and were waiting for promotional efforts to bring in tourists.

“I think some vendors selling goods like T-shirts, bags … or luggage … items geared heavily towards foreigners – they have not felt the benefits yet,” he said.

The sector representative stressed that nearby residents were happy about the closing time and there were no noise complaints so far. Chan said he hoped the market could eventually extend its hours until 12am because the current closing time could be “a little bit of a buzzkill”.

“But of course, we need to strike a balance between ensuring the satisfaction of both vendors and local residents … we will see,” he said.

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He also said that the biggest issue now was hygiene, pointing out that measures, such as placing larger and more bins and increasing garbage collection frequency, were being introduced.

The goal was to ensure a clean environment without inconveniencing the transport of waste, he added.