Hong Kong focuses on tourism - Business Travel - Brief Article

Business Asia, Feb, 2002

DEVELOPING NEW tourism products in response to new opportunities and challenges will be the focus for Hong Kong in 2002, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Tourism Commissioner Rebecca Lai says.

Lai, speaking in Sydney late last year, said that as Hong Kong's economy moved away from manufacturing towards a service based system, tourism would become more important. The Hong Kong Government had conducted a critical assessment of its tourism policy to determine how this important sector of the economy could be developed and what was needed in terms of both the infrastructure and the culture to do so, Lai said.

And it's not just Western markets which will be the focus. The growth in arrivals from mainland China and Taiwan has skyrocketed in recent times, with more than six million visiting Hong Kong last year (nearly 50 per cent of tourists for 2001).

"With the recent entry of China into the WTO and growing affluence amongst its people, China will clearly become on of the key growth markets in the years ahead," Lai said.

To encourage more mainland Chinese to visit, Lai said that an agreement had been reached with Chinese authorities to abolish the quotas that previously applied to travelers from Chin on group tours. The number of travel agencies in China that could organise tours to Hong Kong would also be increased from four to 67. Both sides had also agreed to extend the opening hours of land borders.

Lai added that legislation was in hand to expand the licensing scheme for travel agents, which would regulate travel agencies offering inbound tours in the same manner as those operating outbound tours. "The intention is to improve the quality of the workforce and thereby enhance the quality of the services we provide to visitors," she said.

A third part of the tourism development strategy dealt with tourism facilities and infrastructure, and is aimed at ensuring there is a good range of attractions suitable for all types of visitors.

Lai said a major project in this was the Hong Kong Disneyland, which is expected to open in 2005.

"Beyond this, we will be developing a new cable car system to improve access to the Great Buddha on Lantau Island, a wildlife and bird facility to complement the Mai Po Marshes World Heritage Site, and we will be improving some of our existing attractions such as the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront," she said.

Noting the close ties that had always existed between Australia and Hong Kong, Lai said that Australians are much-treasured guests in Hong Kong. This closeness is exemplified by a special commemorative stamp being released by Australia Post to coincide with Chinese New Year. 2002 is the Year of the Horse.