Readers contemplate the heartbreaking loss of a mother and her daughter, and urge hotels across Asia to get ready for the arrival of AI booking assistants.
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A 12-year-old girl along with her motherlost their livesLast week. As a community, we are still finding it difficult to come to terms with this tragedy. Although we should avoid making assumptions about the details of this family, the event compels us to face an issue that we frequently neglect: the mental well-being of parents.
A 2025 epidemiological study on child and adolescent psychiatry reveals that 24.4% of Hong Kong children between the ages of 6 and 17 experience at least one mental health condition in a year, with 10% facing depression and 7.8% dealing with anxiety among secondary school students. Notably, the research indicates that higher levels of parental depression and anxiety are linked to a much greater likelihood of children developing anxiety, depression, ADHD, or behavioral issues. In short, when parents face mental health challenges, their children are also more prone to similar difficulties.
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It’s not unexpected if we pay attention to parents in Hong Kong. The pressures they face are significant and add up over time. Extended work hours, uncertainty about job stability, a high cost of living, and minimal flexibility at work result in many parents being constantly drained. In families where both partners work, the lack of time and conflicts between work and family responsibilities are common. Many also find themselves looking after elderly grandparents—what is known as the “sandwich generation”—which increases the burden of multiple roles.
A highly competitive academic environment may cause parents to adopt the role of performance supervisors instead of emotional supporters in their children’s growth. Behind all of this lies significant cultural pressures regarding parental sacrifice; these reinforce the inclination to place children’s achievements above the parents’ own mental well-being.
Nevertheless, the data indicate that this trade-off is not viable in the long term. When parents consistently feel overwhelmed, the emotional environment at home deteriorates. Children pick up on this ambiance; some might experience anxiety or depression, or exhibit behavioral issues.
What actions should we take? Initially, we need to recognize parental mental health as a key focus within public mental health. It should become standard practice to screen for and provide support for depression and anxiety in places where parents regularly visit—such as maternal and child health clinics, pediatric services, schools, primary care facilities, and workplaces. Secondly, we require services that align with the practical aspects of parents’ lives: available outside of regular working hours, cost-effective, and free from stigma.
Mind HK has been advocating for mindful parenting programs; we assist parents in developing greater awareness of their emotional conditions while raising children and in reacting with more self-compassion instead of self-blame. The concept is straightforward yet revolutionary in a society that emphasizes self-sacrifice: taking care of your own mind is an essential aspect of caring for your child.
The foundation of a family lies with its parents. If we expect them to take on more responsibilities without recognizing their emotional burden, it endangers the whole family. This crisis needs to be a moment of change. We must start to recognize, assist, and appreciate the mental well-being of those who are caring for the children.
Dr. Candice Powell, Chief Executive Officer, Mind HK
If you are having thoughts of suicide or are aware of someone going through this, support is accessible. In Hong Kong, you may contact 18111 for the government-operated Mental Health Support Hotline. Additionally, you can reach out to +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services.
In the United States, contact or send a message to 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of helplines from other countries, see this page.
Hotels in Asia need to get ready for AI-based booking assistants
Hong Kong’s tourism recoveryis accelerating. The Hong Kong Tourism Board reported 18.52 million tourist visits in the first four months of 2026, a 15 per cent increase compared to the previous year, continuing the momentum for afull-year targetover 50 million
Nevertheless, the recovery shows inconsistency in one aspect: as per Colliers, hotel occupancy reached 87 per cent on average in 2025, whereas average daily rates dropped by 5.2 per cent, with increased competition observed in the mid-scale category. Occupancy is rising at a slower pace, and the fees paid to booking platforms are deducted from the same revenue stream.
This distribution model is set to change once more, in Hong Kong and throughout Asia. For forty years, each major transformation in hospitality distribution has originated from a new middleman: global distribution systems in the 1980s, online travel agencies in the late 1990s, and metasearch engines in the 2000s. The next middleman is artificial intelligence. AI assistants are starting to arrange trips without travelers ever needing to use a search engine or an online travel agency app. According to market research firm International Data Corporation, 30 percent of travel bookings are expected to be handled by AI agents by 2030.
We have experienced this trend previously. Prior to Foodpanda and other food delivery applications, getting food required careful consideration of time, transportation, and effort; once the process became effortless, a fleeting idea quickly turned into a purchase in just minutes. The hotel booking industry is following a similar path. At our property management platform OwlNest, almost half of the bookings at Asian properties in 2025 were placed within seven days of check-in, with more than 30 percent made within 24 hours of arrival. When an AI assistant can search and confirm a room in seconds, the distance between the desire to book and the actual purchase continues to shrink.
This reliance is deeply embedded throughout the region. The presence of online travel agencies among independent hotels in the Asia-Pacific has hit 71.8 per cent, the second-highest figure worldwide. AI assistants do not consider brand size or advertising budgets. They evaluate relevance, cost, availability, and guest feedback. A standalone hotel with excellent reviews and a well-connected booking system can be listed alongside international chains, or might not show up at all.
All prior distribution shifts benefited those who had established themselves early. For Hong Kong, and for the broader Asian markets that provide its tourists, the opportunity to develop direct, machine-readable booking systems should come before AI-driven demand increases, not afterwards.
Darren Wang, the founder and chief executive officer of OwlTing Group
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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.
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