City prepares to light up the skies for Labour Day ‘golden week’ holiday

Hong Kong will stage a fireworks display on Kowloon’s waterfront next month as the opening salvo for the mainland’s Labour Day “golden week” holiday, to be followed by a Wan Chai drone show 10 days later.

Promotions on the mainland are also being stepped up in a bid to attract more visitors from across the border.

Dane Cheng Ting-yat, the executive director of the Tourism Board, revealed yesterday that pyrotechnics and drone shows would be staged on a regular basis in tandem with the city’s festivals and mega events from May.

The events will complement the city’s “Symphony of Lights” multimedia show, which also includes music, held every day along Victoria Harbour.

“The Labour Day golden week is a peak travel season for mainland tourists,” he said.

“The Tourism Board seizes the opportunity to step up promotions on the mainland and roll out pyrotechnic and drone performances with various themes to enhance visitors’ experience in town, adding icing on the cake of their journey.”

The first fireworks show will be held at 8pm on May 1 at the East Tsim Sha Tsui promenade in Kowloon to mark the start of golden week, which will see an influx of tourists from across the border to the city for the five-day break.

It will be followed by the city’s first drone show this year, to be held on May 11 at the Wan Chai temporary promenade.

The drone show will also be used to complement traditional Victoria Harbour festive celebrations, including Buddha’s Birthday, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival and the Tam Kung Festival.

Hong Kong welcomed more than 11 million visitors in the first quarter, more than double the amount in the same period last year and close to 72 per cent of the peak year of 2018.

A drone show will be held on June 10 and a fireworks display on June 15 at the Wan Chai promenade to add some sparkle to the Dragon Boat Festival.

“We also encourage trade partners such as bars and restaurants to leverage these events and activities to roll out more products and spending offers such as pyrotechnic-view dinners for customers,” Cheng said in a separate radio interview.

“We will be happy to help them promote their products.”

But Cheng said he did not expect the shows alone would attract a lot of tourists, although they would enrich the Hong Kong experience for those who were in the city.

“The important thing about having pyros or drones is to enhance the overall ambience in Hong Kong,” he added.

“I do not think … a pyro or a drone show will draw visitors to come to Hong Kong for that purpose, but at least it will enhance their experience.”

Cheng said the board would organise a large-scale campaign next month in collaboration with several government departments to promote the city’s hospitality.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced the monthly pyrotechnics and drone shows initiative in his February budget.

The important thing about having pyros or drones is to enhance the overall ambience in Hong Kong DANE CHENG TING-YAT, TOURISM BOARD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR