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The following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, at the opening ceremony of the 14th Asian International Exhibition of Food & Drink, Hotel, Restaurant & Food Service Equipment, Supplies & Services (HOFEX 2011) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today (May 11):
Vice-Governor Jia (Mr Jia Wanzhi, Vice-Governor of Shangdong Province), James (Mr James Tien, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board), Daniel (Mr Daniel Cheung, General Manager of Hong Kong Exhibition Services Ltd), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. I am pleased to join you all for the opening of the 14th HOFEX. I'd like to extend a very warm welcome to Hong Kong to all our visitors.
This renowned trade show for the food and hospitality industries continues to go from strength to strength. Around 1,800 exhibitors from some 50 countries and regions are taking part in this year's event.
The hotel, catering and tourism industries are key components of Hong Kong's economy. Our food services and accommodation sectors accounted for 8% of our total employment. Last year, we welcomed a record 36 million visitors. They spent over $40 billion on meals, hotel bills and shopping, which was a significant increase of 49% over 2009.
The continual expansion of HOFEX is solid evidence of the potential for growth of these industries globally. It is also a vivid testimony to Hong Kong's unique position as an exhibition hub and also as a premier gateway to the Mainland of China, one of the fastest-growing and exciting economies in the world.
The Hong Kong Government attaches great importance to tourism-related industries. During the financial crisis, we introduced measures to boost various sectors. In 2008, we waived the hotel accommodation tax and eliminated wine tariffs. To promote Hong Kong as a capital of meetings, incentive travels, conventions and exhibitions, or what we call MICE, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has established the Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong office, which provides one-stop support service to event organisers.
I hope events such as HOFEX have benefited from it.
At the same time, we are pressing ahead with a number of tourism infrastructure projects. The two major theme parks, Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland, are undergoing major expansion works. We are also building a world-class cruise terminal that will be able to handle the world's largest cruise liners, so that the largest cruise liners don't have to dock at our container terminal anymore. We shall also take forward the West Kowloon Cultural District project, which will establish Hong Kong as the cultural hub in Asia with state-of-the-art cultural facilities. We are already a cultural hub in Asia with many successful art fairs and also art auctions.
Ladies and gentlemen, HOFEX is a great place to strike business deals and to make new friends. I also invite you to enjoy the delights of our great city and the culinary excitement that will await you at every turn of the corner. It is also a cultural crossroads of East meets West, where they truly merge.
It just remains for me to wish HOFEX 2011 every success and I'd like to wish all our visitors to Hong Kong a very memorable and pleasant stay here in Asia's world city.
I also echo both Felix's (Mr Felix Bieger, Chairman of the Hong Kong Hotels Association) and James' urge: please also put a dent in your credit cards.
Thank you.
Ends/Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Issued at HKT 14:41
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