After HKSAR Financial Secretary Henry Tang made a proposal in the 2005-2006 fiscal budget for an extra allocation of 500 million Hong Kong dollars to support tourism development, the Hong Kong Tourism Board announced on March 17 that it would use HK$470 million of the extra allocation to carry out in the next two years the "2006 wonderful Hong Kong tourist year" and other global promotion activities, so as to attract more tourists to Hong Kong.

Selina Chow Liang Shuk-Yee, chairwoman of Hong Kong Tourism Board, indicates that the "Hong Kong tourist year" is expected, on the basis of the business growth forecasted by the Tourist Board, to bring in 1.2 million additional people by turnstile count and 2 million days for those staying in Hong Kong, as well as an extra10 billion HK dollar worth of tourist consumption. To achieve this, the Tourism Board is expected to bring in 27.24 million tourists and HK$114.7 billion worth of tourist consumption for the region in 2006.

An investigation shows that the massive activities held by the Tourism Board in the past two years were well received by the tourists, this tourism department will, on the basis of the original activities, organize a large number of massive activities with traditional culture and festivals as the theme to give prominence to the region's unique traditional cultural characteristics. In addition, the Tourism Board plans to develop green tourism in New Territories, so that lovers of Nature can feast their eyes on the natural beauty of Hong Kong; and to develop hydrotherapeutic holiday resorts in order to provide more options for tourists.

Ms. Chow says because some promotion work will be carried out this year, this will benefit tourist achievement in 2005, the Tourism Board revised this year's target of tourists to Hong Kong from 22.8 million to 23.41 million persons/times, and tourist consumption is estimated to rise as high as Hk$97.8 billion.

The tourist industry has created large amounts of job opportunities. Secretary Tang mentioned in the fiscal budget that about 14,000 new hotel rooms are estimated to be completed at the end of next year and 7,500 personnel will be employed; the Disney Amusement Park soon to be open is engaged in busy recruitment of 5,000 employees.

By People's Daily Online