Tourism Industry
182. Last year saw an increase of 12 per cent in visitor arrivals, creating business and job opportunities for related sectors. In the coming year, we will allocate $1,660 million to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).
Highlight Hong Kong's Uniqueness to Enhance Tourism Appeal
183. Hong Kong is the Events Capital of Asia. The HKTB will scale up its flagship events and promotion, introducing new elements and extending event duration, and organise more signature festive events to highlight Hong Kong's East‑meets‑West uniqueness.
184. Building on the success of last year's "Immersive Light Show in Central" featuring spectacular 3D light shows, the HKTB will launch a brand new show with the theme of light festivals across various locations at different times of the year to replace "A Symphony of Lights".
Attract High‑end Overnight Visitors
185. The HKTB will draw more overnight visitors by stepping up marketing efforts in source markets with potential, including Mainland cities outside Guangdong, as well as emerging markets such as ASEAN and the Middle East. We will also proactively promote the hosting of a wider range of conferences, exhibitions and incentive travel events in Hong Kong.
186. The number of ship calls to Hong Kong reached 189 last year, representing a year-on-year increase of 26 per cent. The HKTB will further attract more international cruises to include Hong Kong in their itineraries.
187. We will continue strengthening co‑operation with the GBA and other Mainland provinces and municipalities, and exploring with airlines to offer multi‑destination flight itineraries, so as to attract more overseas visitors to Hong Kong and the Mainland.
Revitalise Historic Buildings
188. Historic buildings embody the city culture of Hong Kong. We have implemented 24 revitalisation projects, with four having won international awards. We have also provided subsidies for maintenance works of more than 80 private historic buildings. We will earmark an additional funding of $1 billion for the Built Heritage Conservation Fund to continue taking forward the relevant work.
Enhance the Harbourfront
189. Following the opening of the Eastern Section of the East Coast Boardwalk in North Point at the end of last year, the approximately 13‑kilometre long harbourfront from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan has now been fully connected. Adhering to the "incremental approach" in enhancing the harbourfront, we plan to conduct a consultation on the construction of a pedestrian walkway at the praya of Kennedy Town in the second quarter of this year. After the phased opening of a waterfront site near Hung Hom Station this quarter, the harbourfront promenades in Kowloon will be extended to about 15 kilometres.
Foster "Urban‑rural Integration"
190. To support "tourism is everywhere" and promote "urban‑rural integration", we propose allocating $200 million for launching the "NM Urban‑rural Integration Fund" as a pilot scheme. The scheme aims to encourage non‑governmental organisations and relevant bodies to take forward rural tourism projects and bring economic vitality to rural villages.
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