Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa visited shops in Causeway Bay and talked to mainland tourists in Golden Bauhinia Square yesterday. Tourists, passers-by and shopkeepers all praised Tung for his gentle, affable and sincere manner. Subsequently, he met with representatives from the tourism sector to discuss the future development of the industry.
Tung said that the post-SARS upward swing of the local economy and the surge of mainland visitors are bringing a lot of business opportunities to hotel, transport and catering industries. He pointed out that the tourist industry will play a significant role in Hong Kong's economic transformation and generate an enormous number of job opportunities. He was also concerned about whether there would be enough hotel rooms to cater to the growing need from visitors.
Tung's active promotion of and response to the relaxation of restrictions on mainland visitors -- who can now come to the SAR on an individual basis -- has epitomized his new concept and style of governance. It has demonstrated his timely and accurate grasp of the social and economic pulse. It has also brought a new political atmosphere to the territory and will make it easier for the SAR government to rally support from different sectors of society for its measures to improve people's livelihoods and rejuvenate the economy, thereby facilitating their implementation.
Thanks to Tung's request and the central government's support, the new arrangement for mainland visitors to come to Hong Kong, which started with four Guangdong cities from the end of last month, will be extended to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai,
Beijing and
Shanghai on September 1, while the entire Guangdong Province will enjoy the same benefit from May next year.
In the face of a sudden surge of mainland tourists, the chief executive and the government have reacted in a timely manner, proposing to convert vacant Home Ownership Scheme flats into guesthouses in order to relieve the pressure on the supply of hotel rooms and fulfill the needs of mainland visitors for middle- and lower-priced hotel rooms. This move has been generally welcomed in the community.
Furthermore, the government has put into place an inter-departmental coordination group to study ways to facilitate the flow of travellers across the border in order to accommodate the expected swell in mainland tourists.
Tung's socializing with mainland tourists, touring shops and discussing with leaders of the tourism sector have reflected his new approach in reviving the tourist industry.
His emphasis on the vital role that industry is set to play in the SAR's economic transformation is a new thinking and notion that all government departments and the community should consider.
Guangdong's new travel arrangement is expected to push the number of arrivals of mainland visitors beyond 10 million, bringing
Hong Kong an annual income of HK$50 billion. The biggest benefit of developing tourism is not only that it boosts the tourist industry, but it enables the full interchange and integration of
Hong Kong and the mainland in commerce, trade and social culture. This is an enormous opportunity and drive for the territory to realize its economic restructuring.
The influx of mainland visitors will not only bolster the business of hotels, shops, restaurants and tourism-related occupations. It will also galvanize
Hong Kong to develop modern types of leisure, entertainment and cultural industries and services, and encourage the SAR to organize international sporting events, and movie, music and art festivals, thereby helping the city become the centre of brand-names, consumption, and cultural and entertainment events. Thanks to the enormous pool of mainland tourists, Hong Kong's service industry will be presented massive room and drive for development.
Recognizing the profound implication of revitalizing the tourist industry, Tung has set a good example in promoting and implementing government policies and measures in developing tourism. In this connection, government departments concerned and tourism-related industries should provide their active support by jointly fostering tourism's role as the growth engine of the reviving economy and its significant role in economic transformation.
