Hong Kong's Working Group Begins Planning for New Tourist Hotspots to Boost Local Appeal and Accessibility

Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots holds first meeting

The Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots, led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, held its first meeting today (November 8). During the meeting, Mr Cheuk led members of the Working Group to discuss how to identify and develop tourist hotspots of high popularity and with strong appeal in various districts, as well as the subsequent work plan of the Working Group.

Mr Cheuk said, "Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city where East meets West and is endowed with a wealth of tourism resources, including cuisines, unique district characteristics, stunning shorelines of Victoria Harbour, natural beauty, clansmen culture, film and television culture, historic buildings and more. Today, the Working Group discussed the prerequisites for tourist hotspots, such as whether they have Hong Kong characteristics, the potential to attract both locals and tourists, and room for developing necessary transportation and ancillary facilities. The Working Group also discussed several preliminary proposals. The Working Group will collect views and suggestions on tourist hotspots through the 18 District Offices and select suitable projects for development.

"We will seek views and gather opinions from the 18 districts and various sectors of the community to develop innovative, appealing and executable projects. We will then consolidate resources and efforts from the community to take forward the projects to put into practice the goal of 'tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong'."

He added, "The Working Group will, within six months, identify the projects to be undertaken along with a relevant timeline for implementation and major tasks to be carried out."

Other members of the Working Group include the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism (deputy leader), the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, the Secretary for Development, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, the Secretary for Security, the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, the Director of Home Affairs, the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services and the Commissioner for Tourism.

Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots holds first meeting Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Development Bureau imposes regulating actions on contractor involved in fatal industrial incident at non-governmental construction site in Chek Lap Kok

A spokesman for the Development Bureau (DEVB) said today (November8) that the contractor involved in the fatal industrial incident at a non-governmental construction site in Chek Lap Kok yesterday (November 7) was under the List of Approved Contractors for Public Works (the List).

The DEVB, being the party to procure services for public works, attaches great importance to the site safety performance of all construction sites under the purview of contractors on the List (regardless of whether the sites are governmental construction sites or not). The DEVB issued a notification to the contractor concerned today to suspend it from tendering for public works contracts in the buildings category with immediate effect pursuant to the regulating regime. The contractor concerned has to conduct an independent safety audit to review its safety management system. Taking cognisance of the outcome of the independent safety audit, the contractor is required to submit an improvement action plan and implement improvement measures, with a view to demonstrating that it has an effective safety management system before the lifting of the suspension from tendering can be considered. The suspension from tendering is not only confined to future tender exercises, but is also applicable to tender exercises with procedures initiated but not concluded.

The Labour Department is investigating this industrial incident and will handle it in accordance with the law. Subject to the investigation findings, the DEVB may impose further regulating actions on the contractor concerned later on, including extension of the period of suspension from tendering for public works contracts and even removal from the List.