Policy Address

Enhance Cultural Confidence and Revitalise Hong Kong's Tourism Industry

129. We will develop Hong Kong into a premier tourism destination through innovative thinking and making better use of our rich and unique resources such as the Victoria Harbour, outlying islands, rural areas, cultures, cuisines, lifestyles and historic buildings. These elements, combined with our edges in technology, animation and comics, the performing arts, film and television culture, and more, will help to instill the concept of "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong".

130. The CSTB will publish the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0 (Blueprint 2.0) later this year, with the focus on promoting culture, sports, ecology and mega events, covering such areas as:

  1. developing eco-tourism – We will explore more itineraries with characteristics related to the countryside and coastal routes, such as island-hopping tours in Yan Chau Tong, and enhance related amenities; expedite the development of the South Lantau Eco-recreation Corridor; develop the ex-Lamma Quarry site into an area for resort and outdoor recreational uses; and develop Tsim Bei Tsui and Pak Nai into eco-tourism nodes;

  2. developing visitor sources from the Middle East and ASEAN – We will actively encourage various sectors of the community to enhance tourism-support measures for creating a friendly environment for visitors. They include providing information at the airport in Arabic and encouraging taxi fleets to provide fleet service information in Arabic; compiling a list of restaurants offering halal food; encouraging more commercial establishments to provide appropriate facilities, such as worship facilities in hotels; and stepping up staff training to strengthen their knowledge on receiving visitors from different cultural backgrounds;

  3. developing tourism products with characteristics – We will promote yacht tourism in the expansion area of Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter, the ex-Lamma Quarry area and the development of the waterfront site in the vicinity of the Hung Hom Station. We will also promote panda tourism, horse racing tourism, and the like. The CSTB will promote cultural and eco-tourism itineraries and products at Sha Tau Kok. The Security Bureau (SB) will increase the daily visitor quota under the Sha Tau Kok opening-up plan to 3 000 by the end of this year. Facial recognition technology will be adopted to enable people living or working at Chung Ying Street to enter and leave the street unimpededly via a "contactless" mode on a pilot basis. The SB will explore the application of relevant technology to complement the future opening up of Chung Ying Street for tourism;