Hong Kong’s huge plans
HONG Kong is firmly cementing its place as the major gateway to mainland China, with huge infrastructure projects aiming to facilitate travel and tourism in the burgeoning Greater Bay Area.
The area - which includes Hong Kong, Macao and nine major cities in southern China’s Guangdong Province, has been designated as a key initiative under the Chinese Government’s latest Five Year Plan for the country’s reform.
It was one of the major topics discussed yesterday at the 2018 International Tourism Convention Hong Kong, where a host of dignitaries including Hong Kong Special Administrative Region CEO Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor spoke about the potential for cooperation with other regions.
The Greater Bay Area is likely to be marketed as a new “multidestination” tourism option, with key connectivity projects including the newly completed Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail link, which for the first time ever provides direct high speed rail access from Hong Kong to 44 stations across China.
The new Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, opened just over a month ago by Chinese President Xi Jinping, is also a game-changer, comprising a massive 55km-long bridge/tunnel system which is the longest sea crossing in the world.
The other major topic of the conference was Hong Kong’s vital place in the government’s Belt and Road Initiative
THE Chinese Government’s “Belt and Road” economic cooperation strategy is set to see Hong Kong play an even more vital connecting role between East and West, according to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region CEO Carrie Lam.
Lam (pictured) opened the 2018 Hong Kong International Tourism Convention yesterday with a speech highlighting the importance of capacity building and shared benefits.
Described as a “21st Century Silk Road,” the plan aims to boost links between countries stretching from Africa, through Europe to Central, North, South and South-East Asia.
Lam suggested it would lead to multilateral cooperation including boosting flight connections, easing visa restrictions and alliances between destinations to boost tourism which is seen as a strong driver of GDP.
Closer to home, the nearby Greater Bay Area (see page one)
“has the means to rival Tokyo, San Francisco and New York - the world’s three renowned bay areas - in tourism potential,” Lam said.
The region has a collective population of 70 million people and a combined GDP of around US$1.5 trillion, making it roughly the economic size of South Korea or Australia.
Lam also highlighted the huge investments being made in tourism projects in Hong Kong, including a third runway for Hong Kong International Airport which will boost capacity to 100 million passengers annually by 2024.
There is also a new boundary control point being developed between Hong Kong and Shenzhen which will significantly shorten the time needed to travel from Hong Kong into China.