Paul Chan: Making Hong Kong's high-value-added tourism and convention and exhibition industries flourish

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in a blog post on the 8th that Hong Kong has recently hosted a continuous stream of mega events, attracting industry leaders and tourists from around the world to gather in the city and injecting notable momentum into the local economy. Hong Kong will continue to vigorously promote mega events in different sectors and improve supporting facilities to make the development of high-value-added tourism and the convention and exhibition industry more vibrant. Chan said Hong Kong's economy grew 5.2% year on year in the third quarter of this year, and 5.1% for the first three quarters combined, the fastest growth for the same period in five years. Looking at October alone, visitor arrivals to Hong Kong rose 11.8% year on year; total retail sales value increased 6.4% in September, and total restaurant receipts rose 3.1% in the third quarter. The recent lively atmosphere can be felt just by walking on the streets: it is not easy to book a table at restaurants in many popular districts, and traffic in the core business district has also become congested. Chan said the second phase of AsiaWorld-Expo is expected to be completed in 2028, adding a multipurpose venue with a capacity of about 20,000 people; the Wan Chai North redevelopment project is also being pushed forward at full speed. Once the two projects are completed, Hong Kong's large-scale convention and exhibition space will increase by more than 40%, providing a broader stage for different organizers to realize more new ideas. The Hong Kong Tourism Board will also continue to work with the industry and different institutions to tailor more unique experiences and services for high-value-added visitors.