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Following is a speech by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, at the UBS Hong Kong Open 2011 Prize Presentation Ceremony today (December 4):
Mr (David) Hui, Mr (Jeffery) Lam, Mrs (Kathryn) Shih, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon, it is my great pleasure to be here today to witness this exciting competition. On behalf of the Hong Kong SAR Government, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the players, golf lovers, and visitors for your participation and great support for this marvellous event.
The UBS Open is one of Hong Kong's oldest professional sporting events. With the full support of the Mega Events Fund this year, the scale of this event and the number of top golf players participating have reached unprecedented heights. Apart from supporting mega sports events like this one, the Mega Events Fund, under the able leadership of Mr (Jeffrey) Lam, also has assisted many local non-profit-making bodies in hosting attractive arts and sports events in Hong Kong, such as dragon boat racing, cricket tournament, dragon and lion dance parade. I am sure you would agree that such mega events not only add colour and vibrancy to our city, but also enrich the travel experience of our visitors and reinforce Hong Kong's position as the events capital of Asia. The organiser has estimated that more than 5 000 visitors are participating in the UBS Hong Kong Open, contributing positively to our tourism market, which is expecting a record-breaking volume of 40 million visitors this year.
As the principal official responsible for tourism, I earnestly invite you to spend the rest of your time here to tour around the city, experience our major attractions and enjoy our world-class shopping and dining offers. You can pay a visit to Central and Tsim Sha Tsui to experience the Hong Kong Winterfest, where elegant Christmas trees, an ice-skating rink, a fairytale-inspired carousel, and a range of festive programmes and activities are available for each and everyone of you to enjoy the festive seasons.
May I congratulate the Hong Kong Golf Association once again for the success in organising the UBS Hong Kong Open 2011, and wish you all a memorable stay in Hong Kong.
Thank you.
Ends/Sunday, December 4, 2011
Issued at HKT 20:47
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