The history of indoor tanning in Hong Kong is not a very long story. When I arrived in the mid-90s, tanning was available, as far as I knew, only in a few of Hong Kong’s hotels, and generally within their fitness facilities. Equipment at that time would have been considered ‘semi-professional’ at best, with some of the equipment actually home-use or domestic.
I was told a company had tried to open a tanning center in Central in the mid-90s, but it had already closed before I arrived. The first tanning salon to open, and remain open, opened in 1999 in Central.
Over the next few years, smaller tanning salons opened in Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui & Mongkok. Some of those tanning salons are still operating today, however the popularity was overestimated, resulting in some closures.
Spray tan got it's start in Hong Kong around 2004. It started mostly in beauty salons, mobile spray-tanning providers, and some tanning salons. Unfortunately, many providers made unrealistic promises resulting in many disatisfied customers. It wasn't until lotions and equipment improved dramatically several years later that spray tan slowly started to regain popularity.
Spray tan product and service levels continue to improve, however there are currently very few service providers available. Many beauty salons earn far more delivering beauty services and are thus hesitant to commit time and resources to spray tan services. As such, spray tan in Hong Kong, like most high-rent cosmopolitan centers, is a little more difficult to find and prices are generally well above average.