After the relaxation of social distancing measures and entry restrictions in Hong Kong, the number of tourists arriving in Hong Kong has not been as expected.
Yang Runxiong, director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, admitted that there is still a big gap between the current number of tourists visiting Hong Kong and before the epidemic.
Member of the Legislative Council of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, Ge Peifan, asked the government in the Legislative Council today (18th) what countermeasures the government will take to accelerate the recovery of the tourism industry in the future. Yang Runxiong said that the Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism is launching different promotional plans to attract international tourists to Hong Kong, including inviting celebrities to visit Hong Kong Shooting of famous scenic spots; re-organizing large-scale tourism industry visits to Hong Kong, receiving delegations from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, etc.; taking the local tourism industry to go out and participating in international tourism exhibitions; cooperating with the catering industry, aviation industry, and hotel industry cooperation, launch tourist discounts, etc., such as providing special drinks for visitors to Hong Kong, and showcase Hong Kong's diverse charms to the world through various programs.
▼On January 18, 2023, the "Silver Spirit" entered Victoria Harbor and docked at Tsim Sha Tsui Ocean Terminal▼
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Yang Runxiong: 500,000 air tickets will be sent out within this year
He also mentioned that the authorities have purchased about 500,000 air tickets from airlines in 2020, and are studying different plans to distribute the air tickets within this year, saying that details will be announced in due course.
The government will launch another major publicity program in February.
As for whether there will be a new round of measures to support the tourism industry, Yang Runxiong pointed out that in the past three years, more than 4.48 billion yuan has been introduced to support the industry.
The authorities have also launched the "Tourism Industry Training Fund" to provide professional training for people in the industry. It is believed that practitioners will gradually return to their jobs as the tourism industry resumes wages. It is emphasized that the authorities will closely monitor the manpower situation in the industry.
As for some countries or regions imposing new entry restrictions and epidemic prevention regulations on tourists from Hong Kong, Yang Runxiong said that the SAR government opposes the unreasonable entry measures against Hong Kong, and is negotiating with relevant authorities and consulates to request the complete removal of discriminatory restrictions.
Lu Songxiong is dissatisfied that the government is not active enough: "Calm down, there is money left"
However, Lu Songxiong, a member of the Legislative Council of the Federation of Trade Unions, believes that the government is not active enough, describing the attitude of the authorities as "calm and calm, if you have money left, help you, help you."
He suggested that the authorities launch a virtual tour, interact with the participants during the live broadcast and "bring goods" at the same time, and provide participants with limited time group discounts to attract more tourists to Hong Kong.
Yang Runxiong said that he could discuss the feasibility of relevant proposals with the Tourism Board, but he was worried "whether he will go online and then stop coming".
Cruise tourism｜Silver Spirit is the first cruise ship to arrive at Hong Kong in three years Passenger deck cheers for customs clearance｜The first cruise ship will return to Hong Kong in March. It is expected to launch two to three nights of high seas tours every week. The federation advocates a special allowance of 3,000 yuan per month to attract talents to enter the industry. The tourism industry welcomes the normal process. Dingyi describes it as a safe cloud and sees the moon. I am confident that after the new year, the mainland will increase the number of tourists. The Tourism Development Bureau will cooperate with the distribution of 500,000 air tickets. It is expected that the AA will announce the allocation of 500,000 air tickets early next year?
Leung Mei Fen: Give it to business travelers and experts to come to Hong Kong for exchange [COVID-19] Fan Chen: The number of passengers at the airport has dropped by 90%. Industry Anti-epidemic Fund｜The Airport Authority bought 500,000 air tickets and the government 40 million yuan to help publishers participate in the book fair
