From the Commissioner
Dear Friends,
Last month I had a brief reprieve from Washington's sweltering summer heat to welcome Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang to San Francisco.
The Chief Executive visited the City by the Bay to promote Hong Kong as a destination for business and leisure travel, as well as to launch a national campaign to publicize Hong Kong as co-host of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events.
At a welcoming reception for the Chief Executive, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said Mr. Tsang's visit strengthened the bonds between Hong Kong and San Francisco.
Illustrating the historic ties between the two waterfront cities, Mayor Newsom declared June 13, 2008 "Hong Kong Day in San Francisco."
In promoting Hong Kong, Mr. Tsang officiated at "Hong Kong – The Perfect Choice!", a public event co-organized by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco and Hong Kong Tourism Board at the beautiful Ferry Building.
Thousands of locals and tourists attended the event, visiting various booths to learn more about trade opportunities, tourism and Hong Kong culture.
During the event, Mr. Tsang commented that Hong Kong had entrenched its position as an international convention and exhibition capital by playing host to more than 300 conventions and exhibitions, including the World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference and ITU Telecom World.
Hong Kong's ability to host such events is due in large part to its world-class staging facilities, particularly the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo.
According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, of the 28 million plus visitors to Hong Kong in 2007 – an increase of 11.6 percent over 2006 – about 1.7 million were coming for meetings, conventions and exhibitions.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang (second from left) launches a trailer of "Hong Kong Reins" at the "Hong Kong - The Perfect Choice!" reception. Mr. Tsang was joined by Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs, USA, Margaret Fong (second from right); Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco, Doris Cheung (first from left); and Executive Director of Hong Kong Tourism Board, Anthony Lau (first from right)
To enhance Hong Kong's appeal as a tourist destination, the government is moving ahead with plans for a new cruise terminal at the site of the old airport at Kai Tak, as well as a $700 million upgrade of the marine-based theme park, Ocean Park.
In addition to popular destinations such as Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong plans to diversify its portfolio of tourist attractions by promoting green tourism, with special emphasis on nature conservation and sustainable development.
While in San Francisco, the Chief Executive celebrated the launch of a national publicity campaign with NBC, the official broadcaster of the Beijing Olympic Games, to promote Hong Kong as the co-host city of the Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events this August.
The campaign includes the 30-minute television program, "Hong Kong Reins," and an online microsite showcasing video vignettes on Hong Kong and the city's preparations for co-hosting the Games.
The microsite, "Hong Kong Olympic and Paralymnpic Equestrian Events" is accessible via http://www.nbc4.com/hongkongnbcolympics/index.html
To mark the occasion of Hong Kong co-hosting the Olympic Equestrian Event, the Hong Kong government recently named a trail from Pak Mong Village to Mui Wo as Hong Kong Olympic Trail and a tree planting site near Pak Mong Village as Olympic Green.
The naming of the Hong Kong Olympic Trail and Olympic Green correspond with the theme of Green Olympics and aims to promote the idea of a green lifestyle.
The Hong Kong Olympic Trail is about 5.6 kilometers with its highest point at 227 meters. It passes through a number of villages settled for more than 200 years.
Hong Kong people are honored to co-host the Games and have diligently worked to ensure their success.
Community-wide efforts, including a $150 million investment in state-of-the-art equestrian facilities by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, have helped create a world-class environment that is "second to none", as noted by U.S. rider Bruce Davidson, Jr. Bruce was among a group of participants who joined a pre-Olympic trial run staged last August in Hong Kong.
The 2008 Olympic Games include a number of firsts for the equestrian events, including 24-hour air conditioned stables, an indoor air-conditioned training area, on-site equine drug testing facilities, mobile cooling stations for horses, and 100 percent recycling of Olympic stable waste.
Just in time for the Olympic Games, early next month Hong Kong will extend coverage of free digital terrestrial television (DDT) broadcasting to all 18 districts reaching 75 percent of the population. This will undoubtedly enhance viewers' audio-visual experience of the Games.
Locally, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, D.C. presents the 13th Annual Made in Hong Kong Film Festival at the Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery of Art. The annual film festival offers a unique opportunity to showcase Hong Kong's cinematic achievements. The festival will run until August 24. I hope you will find the time to enjoy a movie at the Freer Gallery of Art.
HONG KONG ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE IN WASHINGTON D.C.
1520 18th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202)331-8947 Fax: (202)331-8958
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Copyright @ 2003, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington D.C.
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