政壇：睇社論學英文

旅遊產業食老本 經濟轉型苦無路

十．一黃金周盛況一去不復返，隨着內地實施旅遊法，嚴禁旅行社開辦零負團費購物團，來港旅行團數目應聲急跌，過往擠滿內地旅客的購物熱點場面冷清。一損俱損，旅遊業風光不再，連帶周邊行業也受到衝擊，為整體經濟敲響警鐘。

可見有一利必有一弊，內地開放個人遊十年，雖然帶動香港經濟反彈，但也衍生客源過度集中的結構性問題，只要內地旅遊政策稍有調整，香港便面臨重大衝擊。

旅遊業隱憂浮現，金融業何嘗不是。上海自由貿易試驗區日前正式掛牌運作，將會開放人民幣自由兌換、國際金融等六大領域，成為內地經濟改革升級的領頭羊。香港的優勢還能維持多久？旅遊業與金融業競爭力減弱，香港還有甚麼新興產業填補這兩片空白？

夕陽無限好，只是近黃昏。港府高層在十．一酒會上聲稱香港競爭力等排名仍居國際前列，只是自我感覺良好而已。

香港要打破經濟困境，既要扭轉傳統產業過度倚靠內地的情形，更要推動高科技、高增值服務業發展，繼續食老本，遲早難逃坐食山空的命運。

It is not enough for the tourism industry to rest on its laurels: the economy must be restructured

The pomp of the National Day golden week is water under the bridge this year. With the enforcement of the Tourism Law on the Mainland, travel agencies are now strictly banned from organizing zero-charge shopping tour groups. The number of tours to Hong Kong dropped instantly as a result. The shopping hotspots that used to be inundated with Mainland visitors are now forlorn. The decline in business of the tourism industry has also impacted its ancillary trades, sounding an alarm for the overall economy.

What goes up must come down. The Mainland has implemented the Individual Visit Scheme for 10 years. Although Hong Kong's economy has rebounded, it still has the structural problem of being too overly dependent on one customer source. Even a slight adjustment of the Mainland tourism policy will adversely affect Hong Kong.

While there are hidden worries in the tourism industry, the finance sector also faces similar problems. The Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone, the bellwether of economic change in China, started to operate officially a few days ago. Six major economic activities, such as convertibility of the yuan and international finance, will be liberalized. How long can Hong Kong maintain its edges? If the competitiveness of tourism and finance weakens, what Hong Kong industries can emerge to take their places?

As the Chinese poem goes, “The setting sun has boundless beauty, but nightfall is imminent.” At the National Day banquet the senior officials of Hong Kong Government were complacent that the city's competitiveness is still at the top the world. They were just engaged in feel-good delusions. If Hong Kong is to break out of the economic doldrums, in addition to stopping its traditional industries from relying too much on the Mainland, it must also promote the development of high technology and high value-added services. Nothing wilts faster than laurels that have been rested upon.

重要生字

rest on one's laurels：食老本

water under the bridge：一去不復返的事物

bellwether：領頭羊