Hong Kong to see over 80 ‘mega events’ in first half of year as gov’t strives to boost tourism, economy
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong will see over 80 “mega events” in the first half of the year, the government has said, as it announced the creation of a cross-department team to support organisers holding festivities in the city.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong said the many mega events spanned sectors from culture to sports to finance. Such events would draw tourists to Hong Kong and boost the economy, he added.
On the calendar are an art installation called Chubby Hearts Hong Kong by UK fashion designer Anya Hindmarch, which will see floating hearts pop up in locations around Hong Kong for 10 days from Valentine’s Day. A giant heart sculpture will also be set up at Statue Square in Central.
The city will also host ComplexCon, a pop culture festival held annually in California, in late March, with about 30,000 people expected to attend.
The government did not say how many such events it had hosted in years’ past. Also among the 80-odd events were annual festivities including the upcoming Art Central, Art Basel and the Rugby Sevens.
To improve coordination, the government has set up a cross-department team headed by Wong to ensure that organisers of large-scale events get the necessary support. The team would provide assistance in areas such as crowd management and transport arrangements, Wong said.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board will also establish a dedicated team to serve as the first point of contact when discussing potential plans for events in Hong Kong.
“They will liaise [with organisers] about the arrangements they need, their expectations and needs, and make a preliminary assessment including the potential benefits of holding the event in Hong Kong to provide advice to the government,” Wong said in Cantonese.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung said at the same press conference that the government had set up an events fund last year to support organisers in bringing festivities to Hong Kong.
Adrian Cheng, the chairperson of the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Committee which administers the fund, said during Friday’s press conference that both Chubby Hearts Hong Kong and ComplexCon were among the events to have benefitted from the funding scheme.
“Our committee will continue to search for more mega events to come to Hong Kong. Together with the government, we are going to drive the mega events economy,” Cheng said in Cantonese, adding that such festivities can help “tell a good Hong Kong story.”
Slow economic recovery
The press conference came after Chief Executive John Lee held a question and answer session with lawmakers on Thursday, in which the city’s hosting of mega events was among the topics discussed.
Lee said hosting such events would enhance Hong Kong’s appeal and bring “enormous economic benefit.”
During a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, lawmaker Regina Ip called on the government to lure international music acts such as Taylor Swift to the city. The 60-odd concerts the artist held in the US and South America last year yielded US$1 billion, she said.
Swift will hold six shows in Singapore, the only Southeast Asian stop on her tour. Singapore’s tourism board was involved in efforts to bring Swift to the country.
Hong Kong continues to struggle with slow post-pandemic economic recovery, which authorities have attributed to external factors such as high interest rates globally.
The government has launched a series of initiatives aimed at boosting the economic outlook, among them a “night vibes” campaign in September involving movie screenings and night markets along the harbourfront. Last year, the government worked with airlines to give away 500,000 plane tickets for visitors to come to the city as part of its “Happy Hong Kong” drive.
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