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Following is the transcript of a media session by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Stephen Ip, after meeting with hotel developers today (August 20) (English portion):

Reporter: ...

Stephen Ip: We had a useful meeting with developers this afternoon. What we want to achieve is to expedite the progress of approving planning applications for hotel projects. The developers would like the government to help shortening the process, the time taken to consider, to approve their applications. They are keen to go ahead the hotel development projects because they are also optimistic that there will be more tourists coming to Hong Kong in the years ahead. According to their estimation, we are talking about 12,000 additional rooms for the next two years. If all the planning applications are approved and materialised, there will be another 20,000 hotel rooms coming on-stream in the coming five years. Altogether we may be talking about over 30,000 additional rooms in the next five years. Of course this is on condition that the number of tourists will increase.

Reporter: ...

Stephen Ip: That is why we have colleagues from Planning Department and Home Affairs Department attending the meeting with the developers. We have heard the view of the developers and we will follow up with the departments concerned.

Reporter: (hotel room supply)

Stephen Ip: I think we have over 42,000 hotel rooms at the moment, which is not a small number. What we need to do is to make sure that tourists coming to Hong Kong have got the information they need. Most important is they have got hotel accommodation before they come to Hong Kong.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion)

End/ Wednesday, August 20, 2003

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