Gov’t to relaunch HK: Edward Yau

February 28, 2020

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau: 

Regarding the funding for the Hong Kong Tourism Board and also the Trade Development Council (TDC), they’re essentially to help us to relaunch Hong Kong at the appropriate time. The major strategy adopted by the Government, both in the relief measures as well as measures in the Budget, is two-pronged. One is to target those hard-hit sectors, providing a timely economic relief for them to tide over this very difficult period. On the other hand, we have to get prepared when the time comes, that we are able to relaunch Hong Kong. We should get ourselves prepared. 

And in addition to government efforts, we are also tasking both the Trade Development Council and also the tourism board to start planning and also put into place concrete plans to launch their campaigns when the time comes. This would include, for TDC, to reposition Hong Kong as the international commerce centre leveraging on the major strengths of Hong Kong. So the extra funding given to TDC is to plan ahead for all these programmes. So the target is to re-emphasise that Hong Kong remains a global business centre. This would also involve the launching of activities both in Hong Kong and overseas. 

Tourism board is very self-explanatory. At the moment we are hard hit, tourism down by over 90%. We have to live with the situation for a while but we also need to plan ahead, when the time comes, how do we relaunch Hong Kong? Now of course, we can’t determine where to go to do what at this moment because it might depend on how the epidemic is spreading among different countries and regions. But the plan needs to be put in place now. So I’m tasking the tourism board to start planning all these programmes and to look into ways to reposition Hong Kong as a tourism destination.

(To watch the whole press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau today said funding for the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Trade Development Council (TDC) will help the Government relaunch Hong Kong.

Mr Yau made the statement at this afternoon's press briefing on initiatives in the 2020-21 Budget.

He said: “The major strategy adopted by the Government both in the relief measures as well as measures in the Budget is two-pronged.

“One is to target those very hard-hit sectors, providing a timely economic relief for them to tide over this very difficult period. On the other hand, we have to get prepared when the time comes, that we are able to relaunch Hong Kong.”

Mr Yau added that the Government is tasking the TDC and the tourism board to start preparing and put in place concrete plans to launch promotion campaigns in the future.

“This would include, for TDC, to reposition Hong Kong as the international commerce centre leveraging on the major strengths of Hong Kong. So the extra funding given to TDC is to plan ahead for all these programmes.”

The Budget proposed to allocate an additional $150 million to the TDC for organising initiatives to promote Hong Kong, such as setting up Hong Kong Pavilions, Hong Kong Design Gallery and pop-up shops in major overseas cities, along with organising trade delegations.

It also proposed to allocate an additional amount of more than $700 million for the tourism board.

Noting that tourism in Hong Kong is hard hit, Mr Yau said the Government needs to plan ahead.

“We have to live with the situation for a while but we also need to plan ahead, when the time comes, how do we relaunch Hong Kong?

“The plan needs to be put in place now. So I’m tasking the tourism board to start planning all these programmes in what way they can reposition Hong Kong as a tourism destination.”