Eric Gnock Fah, chief operating officer and co-founder of travel and leisure booking app Klook, tells Tatler about the future of the travel industry and why Hong Kong’s boyband Mirror represents creativity from chaos
Envision is a series designed to bring hope to Hongkongers amid the uncertainty and isolation of the pandemic. Each week, we publish letters of encouragement and messages of positivity from the city’s most influential leaders in the realms of art, culture, business and sport. These deeply personal, first-person accounts from the community can be read as love letters to Hong Kong. In these trying times, the series inspires and serves as a reminder that we’re all in this together, and that we will bounce back stronger than ever.
When Eric Gnock Fah spoke to Tatler from Singapore last week, he shared his excitement towards being abroad for the first time in two years. His purpose for being overseas is far beyond a holiday: as always, he’s thinking ten steps ahead. “I need to see in what form and shape the travel industry is coming back overseas, so that when Hong Kong is ready, I can bring that learning back to the city and position Hong Kong at the forefront [of tourism].”
Though not a native Hongkonger himself, he considers the city home and speaks of its resilience through the most difficult of circumstances. Read more about why he calls Hong Kong the jewel of Asia in this week’s Truth Be Told below:
March 30, 2022
I was in Thailand for two weeks. I’m in Singapore right now and then I’m planning to come back to Hong Kong in about a month or so. This is my first time away in two years. While Hong Kong is going through this new wave, I thought I’d go overseas to connect with other markets and bring that outside energy back to Hong Kong.
The other day I saw an article on Bloomberg saying how ‘Hong Kong will be ready to open to the world soon’. I don’t know if the media is overselling it, but it was great news to read. Home quarantine for [incoming travellers] who test negative would be ideal. In 2019, we had societal pressure with the protests and now, we’re dealing with Covid-19. The past few years have been a long road for anyone living in Hong Kong. To me, the frustration was not being able to connect with our colleagues abroad. Klook is a global company and getting on Zoom still feels very transactional. I’m not going to grab a coffee with someone on Zoom am I? It's just not the same thing.
My mental health has been up and down. In the initial phase of our semi-lockdown I was tired and mentally stressed. Obviously, because Klook is in the travel business, it’s not like business has been booming. But a key takeaway has been discipline. That’s really helped. For example, even though gyms are closed, I still wake up early and do some outdoor exercise. I just need to keep doing things. I guess Hong Kong has been lucky that it never really had a complete lockdown.
In terms of business, Klook is in 15 different locations around Apac and we’re in Europe and the US. Different countries have obviously gone through different stages of Covid-19. For some of those markets, travel is back on track [to the point where it] almost feels like it’s on a rocket ship, propelling forward. For these markets, performance-wise, we are performing even better than before Covid-19. Other markets, however, have felt like they’re on a sinking ship. So our experience has been diverse for us and for our staff. It was impossible for us to have a blanket strategy for all markets; it doesn’t work. Each market is so unique.
In Hong Kong, even with this wave of the pandemic, our sales have not actually dropped to zero. People know and use Klook for experiences, but until the pandemic they didn’t really know us for staycations and accommodation. But now I think we are equally well known for that. Our biggest pivot was building our staycation strategy. The overall sentiment is improving. People are learning how to live with Covid-19. I’m sure once Hong Kong opens up, we’ll see even more revenge spending.
The people of Hong Kong are survivors. We became this way during crises—whether due to Covid-19 or political turmoil. Hong Kong been through a lot, yet it continues to survive and flourish. I’m not even from Hong Kong; I only moved there in 2008. I don’t have a Hong Kong passport, so I can’t claim myself to be a Hongkonger but I consider it as one of my homes. I’ve seen the resilience of Hong Kong first-hand. We’ve been going through a hard time for almost four years now, and yet you still feel Hong Kong’s energy. The [boy band] Mirror is such a good example of the energy that was born from this type of chaos. They are a phenomenon in these times of uncertainty.
Hong Kong is such a dynamic place. There is so much opportunity for business here. But, especially for us in the travel sector, the way Hong Kong is positioned is like a jewel in the middle of Asia. There is no other place you can fly from as conveniently as Hong Kong. The connectivity is incredible.
I’m travelling now so that I can see in what form and shape the travel industry is coming back, so that when Hong Kong is ready, I can bring that learning back to the city and position Hong Kong at the forefront [of tourism]. Our job is to make sure that the delay in opening borders does not disadvantage Hong Kong in the future. What is fascinating to me is sustainable tourism. It has always been a trend in the West, but now it’s coming to Asia. Maya Bay in Thailand is a great example.
How do we make sure that travel comes back to Hong Kong in a sustainable way? Well, that’s what I’m trying to figure out. I’m trying to bring these type of thoughts and visions to Hong Kong so we can stay ahead of the competition in tourism.—Eric Gnock Fah
Eric Gnock Fah is an Asia's Most Influential honouree from Hong Kong.
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