Motion on “Reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as an international tourism hub and consolidating its position as a world-class premier tourism destination”
Deputy President, while Hong Kong must do a good job in consolidating its status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, we should also attach importance to the tourism industry, which is one of the four traditional pillar industries of Hong Kong. A vibrant tourism industry will accentuate Hong Kong’s characteristics as an international metropolis. Our favourable geographic location with strong support of the motherland and close connection to the world has made us well-placed to develop tourism, but we must not overlook the pressure from regional competition. I thank Mr YIU Pak-leung for proposing this motion to urge the Government to make the best use of existing resources, be guided by the visitors’ needs, and focus on a longer-term goal of building Hong Kong into a functionally developed premier tourism city.
As mentioned by some Honourable colleagues just now, I am pleased to see that the Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots set up last year has recently announced nine tourism hotspot projects, covering eco-tourism, cultural tourism and “checking-in” tourism. Among them, Hong Kong industrial branding tourism and creating a Pink Trumpet Tree Garden at the Tamar waterfront are proposed for the first time, which are highly attractive. The former not only allows visitors to enhance their experience and fun through the DIY “do-it-yourself” approach, but also helps to promote Hong Kong’s industrial brands and spirit; while the latter takes into account special features of landscape coordination, environmental friendliness, etc. Besides, in-depth travel in Kowloon City, the old town Central, the former Yau Ma Tei Police Station, etc. are all revitalization projects of Hong Kong’s historical and cultural heritage, which can evoke nostalgic feelings in visitors. With appropriate and effective publicity, I believe these nine hotspot projects will definitely inject new elements and vitality into the development of Hong Kong’s tourism industry. On how to enhance the attractiveness of tourism, I would like to make a few points.
Firstly, transport conditions are very important to tourism. At present, the West Kowloon Station of the high-speed rail has direct access to 93 cities in the Mainland. As an iconic feature of our country’s transport network development, it is worthy of promotion to foreign visitors. Since last year, more countries have been covered by the Mainland’s visa-free policy. Residents of Western countries prefer vacations with a longer time span. Hong Kong should capitalize on such features and proactively promote our country’s advanced high-speed rail transport technology, so that overseas visitors will make Hong Kong their first stop on their trip to China. The diversity of the “northbound” cities can make up for the limited capacity of Hong Kong’s small geographical area.
Secondly, the development level of Hong Kong’s infrastructural facilities is already quite high. Recently, the Government has been promoting multiple payment methods in use cases such as MTR and taxis. It can be said that now Hong Kong already has good ancillary facilities, but the level of smartness still falls short. The Peak Tram and the Ngong Ping 360 cable car are also popular tourism items, but during the Mainland Labour Day Golden Week just past, there were quite a number of negative comments on the Internet about the long queuing time, chaotic on-site management, and so on. Online ticketing has become a common management mode for tourist attractions in places such as the Mainland, Singapore and South Korea, which not only helps to regulate visitor flow according to the capacity of the attractions, but also prevents “ticket scalping”. This kind of “smart tourism” approach is worth our reference and adoption.
Thirdly, the appeal of mega events (especially celebrity concerts) to fan tourists is there for all to see. The Kai Tak Sports Park, featuring both sports and entertainment, was officially inaugurated in March, and a number of singers have been staging performances one after another. The Kai Tak Stadium has a capacity of 50 000 spectators, putting a huge pressure on the traffic. Currently, a large number of spectators from the Mainland can only travel between the two places by MTR and cross-boundary coaches at Shenzhen Bay within a limited period of time. I suggest that the Government must consider increasing the number of all-day direct coaches travelling between the Huanggang Port and the Kai Tak Sports Park during the time periods when there are large-scale performances, so as to alleviate the traffic pressure and the anxiety of Mainland spectators about their commuting time. Only then can the potential of mega event tourism be truly realized.
Lastly, with the maturity and popularity of technology, now many tourist attractions in the Mainland have introduced experiential activities such as hot air balloon rides, paragliding and helicopter tours, allowing visitors to have novel experiences while enjoying the beautiful scenery, thereby greatly enhancing the tourism competitiveness. The landscape of Hong Kong is also suitable for viewing from high altitude. On the premise of complying with the relevant regulations of the Civil Aviation Department and with proper safety precautions, similar activities should be introduced at suitable locations to develop characteristic tourism, so as to enable visitors to appreciate the beauty of Hong Kong’s scenery from multiple angles.
Deputy President, the development of the tourism industry absolutely cannot just depend on God’s blessings. We must continue to think with ingenuity to break through bottlenecks and cultivate our unique advantages before we can have a chance to become a world-class premier tourism destination. Thank you.