Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at Hong Kong Week 2018 - Greater Bay Area Showcase in Tokyo today (November 1):
 
Ms Zeng (Director of the Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Ms Zeng Yingru), Helena (Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Ms Marie Helena de Senna Fernandes), Kikuma-san (Vice Chairman of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, Mr Jungo Kikuma), Peter (Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Dr Peter Lam), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good afternoon. It is with great pleasure that I join you here in Tokyo, at this important event organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

     For decades, Hong Kong and Japan have been enjoying a close relationship in various areas, and tourism is certainly no exception. 

     With visa-free arrangement and frequent flight connections between Hong Kong and 13 cities in Japan, Hong Kong and Japan are each other's fourth largest source market of tourists. 

     I am confident that the number of visitors will continue to grow, for 2019 has been designated as Hong Kong-Japan Tourism Year with a series of promotion activities to be launched.

     There are now new reasons to visit Hong Kong, or stay a bit longer in Hong Kong. With the opening of the 26-kilometre Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high speed train in September and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge last week, you will find making short day trips to the neighbouring cities so much more convenient. 

     With travelling time significantly shortened, visitors will be able to sample the charm of Macao's heritage and her world-class resorts and entertainment facilities, as well as the cultural and entertainment attractions, scenic historical spots, and tasty Cantonese cuisine offered by the Greater Bay Area Mainland cities.

     For those who love art and culture, the West Kowloon Cultural District, one of the world's largest cultural quarters in the making, is something not to be missed. By end of this year, the Xiqu Centre, the Cultural District's dedicated Chinese opera house, will open. This will be followed by two world-class museums, namely the M+ museum for contemporary arts and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which will feature the artefacts of Chinese art and culture from the imperial collection of the Beijing Palace Museum.

     For today's Greater Bay Area Showcase, I would like to thank our friends from the Guangdong Provincial Tourism Administration and the Macao Government Tourism Office for joining us in showcasing the many attractions of the Greater Bay Area.

     For our Japanese friends, please come to visit these three diverse and yet captivating destinations to enjoy a vacation that is three times as thrilling, three times as enticing, and three times as memorable!

     I look forward to welcoming you all in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. Thank you very much.

Ends/Thursday, November 1, 2018
Issued at HKT 15:59

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