Hong Kong should create a permanent government office for mega events and host more sporting activities that are scheduled together with other major tourism events to maximize their benefits and boost the city’s economy, a local think tank said Monday.
Our Hong Kong Foundation executives also called for enhanced cooperation in holding sports events with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area for the territory to become an international mega sports event capital, attracting more tourists while providing sports venues that meet global standards.
“The sports industry is included in tourism industry, which is one of Hong Kong’s four key industries,” Legislative Council member Kenneth Fok Kai-kong said.
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“And the sports industry has been gaining attention from all lives of society in these years,” said Fok, who is also the vice-president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong.
According to government data, more than 210 mega events, including over 20 sports mega events, will be held in the city this year.
Meanwhile, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau also estimated that these events will attract about 1.7 million tourists, who will contribute HK$7.2 billion ($927 million) and economic growth of HK$4.3 billion to the city. The special administrative region government estimated that per 1.5 million tourists will bring 0.1 percent of growth to the city’s GDP as well.
However, OHKF’s research noted that the SAR government lacks a systematic strategic plan to attract sports events’ organizers to Hong Kong.
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“We recommend establishing a permanent Mega Events Office based on the existing Mega Events Coordination Group,” OHKF Vice-President Kenny Shui Chi-wai said.
Shui said if the office could know the arrangement of these sports mega events in advance, such as the cost and venue, it would be easier to make quick adjustments.
The think tank also proposed that the government strategically plan the mega event calendar, so that the sports, arts, and meeting, incentive, convention, exhibition/event events could be promoted together, maximizing their economic benefits.
Herman Hu, vice-president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, agreed. “We hope to maximize our benefits to facilitate the growth of Hong Kong’s economy. Not limited to sports and cultural activities and art tourism, many industries can participate in the sports mega events as well,” he said.
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Co-hosting large-scale multisports events with other GBA cities is another focus of OHKF’s report.
“The National Games 2025 is a good chance for Hong Kong to cooperation with other GBA cities in holding sport mega event,” Shui said.
Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao will jointly host the Games next year, and the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) has been established. OHKF suggested transforming this office to another permanent office for co-hosting sports events with other GBA cities.
“Given that we have had many cross-border commercial associations, we need this governmental organization to solve many complex issues in future, including visa issues and the problem of cross-border broadcasting rights,” Fok said.
