Tourism Strategy Committee Discusses Hong Kong's Visitor Trends and Blueprint 2.0 at Recent Meeting

Tourism Strategy Committee holds second meeting

The Tourism Strategy Committee, chaired by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, held its second meeting today (September 16). At the meeting, Mr Yeung discussed with members the changes in travel patterns and visitor habits. He encouraged the tourism and related trade to understand the changes, respond to the changes and embrace them, introduce tourism, catering and retail products with Hong Kong characteristics to attract visitors as well as join hands with the Government to promote Hong Kong's tourism development and boost the economy. Views on the proposed directions of the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 (Blueprint 2.0) and how to further promote the theme of "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong" were exchanged at the meeting as well. Besides, representatives from the Hong Kong Tourism Board briefed members about Hong Kong's latest tourism performance and the relevant statistics.

Mr Yeung said, "The provisional visitor arrival figure for August this year was close to 4.5 million, representing a year-on-year increase of over 9 per cent and reaching a record high for a single month since the full opening of the borders in February 2023. We are encouraged to note that in the first eight months of this year, more than 29.5 million visitor arrivals were recorded, representing a year-on-year increase of 45 per cent. Of them, about 23 million were Mainland visitors and over 6.5 million were non-Mainland visitors, representing year-on-year increase of about 39 per cent and 63 per cent respectively."

He added, "With the strong recovery in visitor arrivals, the Government will continue to work with different sectors of the community to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong's tourism industry and strive to pursue 'tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong'. At the meeting, members expressed their endorsement and support for the Government's continued policy direction of making good use of Hong Kong's rich tourism resources to actively motivate the trade to develop characteristic tourism products to promote Hong Kong's unique appeal to the world and attract more visitors to Hong Kong. The Government also encourages the trade to seize the business opportunities arising from the Central Government's gifting of two giant pandas to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the two giant panda cubs born in Hong Kong, exercise creativity and introduce giant panda products with local characteristics to offer special giant panda experience to visitors."

He further said, "The Government has completed 27 consultation sessions with the trade on Blueprint 2.0, met with more than 110 trade organisations and received over 1 000 recommendations. The Government is now pressing ahead with the formulation of various strategies and initiatives for the Blueprint 2.0 with a view to promoting speedy and quality development of the tourism industry. Our plan is to finalise and publish the contents of the Blueprint 2.0 within this year."

At the meeting, members put forward different suggestions for promoting the theme of "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong", such as stepping up effort in developing island tourism, green tourism and continuing to make good use of technology to enhance visitor experience. Furthermore, Mr Yeung briefed members about the latest updates regarding the Central Government's gifting of another two giant pandas to the HKSAR, the birth of two giant panda cubs by giant panda Ying Ying on August 15 this year as well as a series of territory-wide publicity and promotional activities being actively arranged by the Government together with Ocean Park and various sectors of the community. Members offered advice on how to further drive the giant panda popularity across the whole city and grasp the business opportunities thus brought about. Additionally, the Tourism Commission briefed the committee about two creative tourism projects, namely the Sai Kung Hoi Arts Festival and the Design District Hong Kong, which will be launched again in November and December this year respectively.

The Tourism Strategy Committee is tasked to provide the Government with strategic advice and foster collaboration among different stakeholders in tourism and related sectors for further promoting the long-term and sustainable development of Hong Kong's tourism industry. Members include prominent figures and key leaders from the tourism and other related sectors such as culture, sports, retail and catering, etc.

Tourism Strategy Committee holds second meeting Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Tourism Strategy Committee holds second meeting Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CHP reminds public on precautions against heat stroke during very hot weather

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (September 19) reminded members of the public, particularly those undertaking outdoor activities, to take heed of necessary measures against heat stroke and sunburn in very hot weather.

"The public should carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while engaging in outdoor activities," a spokesman for the CHP said.

"Those engaged in strenuous outdoor activities should avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcohol, as they speed up water loss through the urinary system," the spokesman explained.

"Infants and children, the elderly, pregnant women, those with chronic illnesses such as heart disease or high blood pressure, outdoor/manual workers, and individuals who are overweight are more vulnerable to heat stroke. They should pay special attention," the spokesman added.

The public should adopt the following precautions:

Wear loose and light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation;

Avoid vigorous exercise and prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion can place additional demands on the physique;

Perform outdoor activities in the morning or the late afternoon, if possible;

For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation;

Do not stay inside a parked vehicle; and

Reschedule work to cooler times of the day if feasible. If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable. Start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Move to a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate.

​The public should also note the latest and the forecast Ultraviolet (UV) Index released by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). When the UV Index is high (6 or above):

Minimise direct exposure of the skin and the eyes to sunlight;

Wear long-sleeved and loose-fitting clothes;

Wear a wide-brimmed hat or use an umbrella;

Seek a shaded area or put on UV-blocking sunglasses;

Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 15, preferably higher. Reapply every two hours if you stay out in the sun, and after swimming, sweating or towelling off; and

While using DEET-containing insect repellents for personal protection against mosquito-borne diseases, apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent.

​If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

​The public may obtain more information from the DH's Health Education Infoline (2833 0111),heat strokepage andUV radiationpage; the HKO's Dial-a-Weather (1878 200),latestweather report and forecast,UV Indexand weather information forhiking and mountaineering; andpress releasesof the Labour Departmenton precautions against heat stroke for outdoor workers and their employers when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force.