Hong Kong to Celebrate '50 Years of Tourism: Creating Milestones Together'

For half a century, since the establishment of the former Hong Kong Tourist Association in 1957, various sectors of the Hong Kong community have been working together to promote Hong Kong’s tourism industry.

Riding on the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, tourism-related industries across the city are jointly organising a programme entitled “50 Years of Tourism: Creating Milestones Together” to review the tourism industry’s past challenge and success. Comprising roving exhibitions, a dedicated website, a public seminar, and school and photographic competitions, the programme is aimed at sharing with the community the tourism industry’s achievements and inviting them to join in its future developments.

Mr James Lu, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the programme and Executive Director of the Hong Kong Hotels Association, said, “Thanks to the concerted efforts of the Government and various sectors of the community, our tourism industry has been developing steadily and has overcome many different challenges. I am delighted that our industry partners are joining hands to organise this programme, which not only shares the tourism industry’s achievements with the community, but also encourages the general public to play an active role in promoting Hong Kong to our visitors.”

The Hon James Tien, Honorary Advisor of the programme’s Organising Committee, and Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), said that tourism was a community business. “The development of our tourism industry over the past 50 years has been remarkable. Fifty years ago, we welcomed just 50,000 visitors a year, a number we now exceed in a single day. Moreover, both our tourism receipts and our overall service standards have substantially improved. I hope that the general public becomes fully involved in this programme and, by spreading the news about Hong Kong’s remarkable achievements and appeal to friends and relatives overseas, become goodwill ambassadors for our city,” he said.

Key activities under the programme will take place from August to December 2007, including roving exhibitions at the Hong Kong Museum of History, major shopping malls and tourist areas. The exhibitions will showcase milestones of Hong Kong’s tourism development and the evolution of the top 10 attractions as well as highlighting changes within the industry. Among the displays will be many unique historic photographs provided by the top 10 attractions, as well as a selection of tourism promotional materials produced by the HKTB over the years. The HKTB has also invited two academics specialising in local tourism history, Dr Sidney Cheung Chin Hung and Mr Shum Si, to act as consultants for the exhibitions. They will also address a public forum on the development of tourism, scheduled for 11 August 2007.

Other activities in the programme include school competitions, a public photographic competition, and a video presentation by tourism undergraduates, all of which are aimed at presenting Hong Kong’s diverse appeal in creative and attractive ways, and enabling participants to share their vision and passion for tourism. A dedicated website will also present the programme’s content.

The “50 Years of Tourism: Creating Milestones Together” programme is co-organised by 13 inbound tourism and related organisations. The organising committee consists of representatives of various tourism sectors, such as airlines, tourist guides, inbound travel agencies, hotels, exhibition and convention industry. The committee has been organising the activities since end of 2006 and received the support of many tourism attractions, which agreed to lend a selection of precious historic photographs, while other attractions, transport operators and shopping malls generously offered exhibition venues. The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University have also given their support through video presentations by their tourism undergraduates.

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