But there was less enthusiasm about five of the other 'hotspot projects' proposed by officials

Tourists are eagerly anticipating the opening up of the old Yau Ma Tei police station, while five of the other newly introduced "hotspot projects" have received little attention in visitors' guides online.

Visitors who spoke to the Post yesterday expressed their enthusiasm for some of the nine projects unveiled by the government the day before as part of efforts to boost tourism.

But most said they would only be staying in Hong Kong for a day or two.

"Visiting the police station is a very in-depth experience; we saw it in the old movies. If the station opens up more, it will definitely encourage us to visit again and go inside if we have time," a tourist surnamed Zhu said.

Zhu, 28, said he had come to the city from Jiangsu province for the first time alongside his partner, with the couple planning to spend several days in the city. "We have only come for a few days, but now we want to come back again," he said.

Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing announced the nine projects on Tuesday, with the tourism initiatives including exploring the city's top four peaks, visiting classic local neighbourhoods and other attractions.

One of the projects involves opening up the 103-year-old former Yau Ma Tei police station.

The scheme is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of this year, with authorities planning on recreating reporting room settings, opening up detention cells and showing classic police films in the control room.

Appearing on a radio show yesterday morning, Cheuk, who chairs the Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots, said that seven out of the nine projects would launch this year.

Cheuk conceded that not all the projects comprised new tourist attractions, adding that some locations, such as the Central-Mid Levels escalator system, would benefit from retrofitting.

He added that other locations, such as the old police station, would be able to offer visitors new experiences.

Outside the old police station, a 25-year-old woman from Changsha, who gave her surname as Ju, said: "This is my first time in Hong Kong. I had to see the iconic Yau Ma Tei from the 80s and 90s movies; it's very nostalgic."

Ju said she was in the city for the first time and had been joined by her mother.

Asked whether she planned on returning if authorities allowed people to go on tours inside the station, she replied: "Absolutely, and more tourists would visit too."

Ju said she would also like to visit the Victoria Park Bazaar, Old Town Central and the old Kowloon City, as well as go on the Four Peaks Tour, after learning about the nine attractions.

Karlynn Wong, 21, said she was visiting Hong Kong from Singapore with her 48-year-old mother, Irene.

"We have two generations in front of this station; for me the nostalgia of the movies with Jackie Chan from when I was younger; for [Karlynn], she is here from the social media trend of this location being very popular for photo taking, so I am here with her," Irene said.

Asked about taking part in one of the hotspot offerings of touring old factories, including one belonging to famed soy sauce producer Lee Kum Kee soy sauce, Irene said: "I know of the product, but I don't think it's that interesting."

But she added she believed that launching more tourist spots would help attract visitors.

The Post checked various social media platforms following the announcement of the projects, finding that many mainland tourists travelling solo to Hong Kong went for short, action-packed itineraries.

A reporter found that 34 of the 50 most popular guides for the city on mainland platform RedNote focused on day trips, while only nine of them offered visits that lasted more than two days.

The locations for most of the nine projects were far away from popular attractions favoured by mainlanders.

A Post check also found the old Yau Ma Tei police station regularly featured in visitors' guides online and was known for being the backdrop for many classic Hong Kong television series.

One RedNote user commented: "It was under renovation when I got there, and it's hard to avoid the crowds when taking pictures. I wouldn't recommend going there for photos."

The Mid-Levels escalator was also often mentioned due to its appearance in the 1994 film Chungking Express, with internet users saying it was surrounded by "cool" shops and cafes.

"You can stroll along the escalator at your own pace. There are plenty of shops around, and it's quite meaningful crossing these famous streets in Central," a user called Minmi said on RedNote.

But online guides were less enthusiastic about attractions that focused on local industries, Tamar Park, Victoria Park, the disciplined services or Hung Hom.

On the same radio show, tourism sector lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung said the nine projects would pave the way for an interdepartmental mechanism for developing tourism policies, adding that Hongkongers should embrace the attractions.

"Traditionally, our tourist spots might be some theme parks or traditional sightseeing spots, but in the eyes of visitors, we have many unique elements. They just need some packaging and promotion to become attractive," he said.

But Yiu said the government needed to plan ahead for a potential surge in tourists heading to the city's natural sights.

He cited Sharp Island as an example, noting it had an inland islet that was linked to the island via a tombolo and would require forward planning for the diversion of crowd flows.

"If we are worried about overcrowding, we need to develop different hotspots to match different tourism needs to divert crowds naturally," Yiu said.