Visitors take photos at a lookout on the peak in Hong Kong on Dec 29, 2020. (PETER PARKS / AFP)
The Hong Kong Tourism Board hailed the measures and policies announced in the 2021 Policy Address to boost the city’s tourism, saying it will continue to cooperate with the government to revitalize an industry which has been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic.
HKTB Chairman Pang Yiu-kai welcomed Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s proposal in her latest policy address on Wednesday to establish a Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and to collaborate with cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to support the recovery of the tourism industry.
In her latest policy address, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam proposed establishing a Greater Bay Area tourism brand and attracting more events, and convention and exhibition activities to Hong Kong through funding and promotion programs
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“The Hong Kong Tourism Board will work closely with relevant government departments, the travel trade and stakeholders in various sectors in promote Hong Kong as a world-class tourism destination,” Pang said.
In her latest policy address, Lam proposed establishing a Greater Bay Area tourism brand and attracting more events, and convention and exhibition activities to Hong Kong through funding and promotion programs, noting that the government will continue to implement measures to consolidate the city as a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism and an international tourism hub.
Cultural tourism and the promotion of multi-destination travel in the Greater Bay Area have been identified among the key promotional focuses in the board’s work plan, Pang said.
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The “Hong Kong Neighbourhood – West Kowloon” thematic promotion, which was launched in September, is designed to integrate with the new trend of cultural tourism and showcase Hong Kong’s new visitor experiences in art and culture, aiming to drum up visitors’ interests in visiting Hong Kong in the future, he said.
The HKTB has secured at least 14 international MICE events to be held in the city, including the largest tech conference in Asia, RISE Conference 2022, and the IAAPA Expo Asia, the global association for the attractions industry. The events are expected to attract 60,000 participants, Pang said.
