HONG Kong’s financial secretary, John C Tsang, yesterday outlined the territory’s plan to strengthen tourism, which includes increasing hotel room supply, building new attractions at Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland, as well as boosting the city’s capabilities as a cruise hub.
“To sustain the healthy development of the tourism industry, we need to devote more efforts to enhancing tourism infrastructure, hotel supply, market promotion, service support (and so on),” he said.
Tsang reported that measures were being taken to increase the number of hotel rooms in the city, such as providing “hotel only” sites. As of end-2012, the Lands Department had approved 13 applications for redevelopment or conversion of industrial buildings, he said, revealing that some 10,000 new rooms would come on stream over the next two years.
In addition, some HK$2.3 billion (US$296.5 million) will be loaned to Ocean Park for early commencement of the all-weather Water World project at Tai Shue Wan, while Disneyland will launch a new night parade and a first-of-its-kind themed area featuring Marvel heroes in the coming years.
With the opening of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in mid-2013, Tsang added that the authorities were working with Hong Kong Tourism Board, neighbouring ports and the travel trade to develop new itineraries and attract more high-spending cruise trip visitors.
Feeling the heat from neighbouring cities, Hong Kong would also “take the initiative to seek to host more mega events”, said the financial secretary, while continuing to sponsor major international events, such as the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival and the Hong Kong Open Championship golf tournament, through the Mega Event Fund. Large-scale events hosted by local non-profit organisations will also be subsidised.
