Hong Kong is set to unveil the first phase of its hotspot tourism projects on Tuesday afternoon to boost the city’s allure, capitalizing on the growing number of visitors to the special administrative region, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday morning.
The HKSAR government’s working group on developing the projects, which was set up in line with last year’s Policy Address, will brief industry stakeholders before a press conference.
Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Cheuk Wing-hing, who chairs the group; Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law Shuk-pui; and officials from relevant departments will be present.
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Lee cited data indicating that tourist arrivals in the SAR had surged by 10 percent, exceeding 16 million, in the first four months of this year, compared to 2024. The growth rates involving long-haul travelers from around the world, including Australia, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, ranged from 20 to 30 percent.
He expects the number of visitors to climb as Hong Kong’s aviation capacity continues to recover, pledging that the government will seize the momentum to strengthen the city’s appeal by optimizing tourism facilities and discovering more tourist hotspots.
To achieve this, Lee said the working group will step up inter-departmental coordination based on the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0 to promote a collaborative approach in implementing the concept of “tourism is everywhere” in Hong Kong.
He said the group will adopt various tourism modes, including ecological and cultural tourism, to meet the preferences of travelers, saying it’s important to improve tourism facilities by integrating diverse elements, such as tourism, cuisine and local film and television culture, to create greater economic benefits for the industry.
Lee added that the SAR government is committed to furthering international cooperation and exchanges, which will be among the key topics to be raised during his interactive exchange question-and-answer session in the Legislative Council (LegCo) on May 29.
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The chief executive, who led a high-level delegation to Qatar and Kuwait last week to explore business prospects, said he would like to discuss with legislators ways of beefing up international cooperation and unlocking new opportunities.
Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com
