A series of major cultural and tourism summits is focusing significant international attention on Hong Kong and the World Tourism Cities Federation Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2025 marks the first time the event will be held in the city.
This important annual event is anticipated to attract more than 400 representatives from 40-plus countries and regions worldwide. Commissioner for Tourism Angelina Cheung said this equates to a record attendance for the event.
Apart from announcing that among those attending will be mayors, vice mayors, and officials from various tourism ministries, Mrs Cheung emphasised that the summit will serve as an excellent platform for exchanging ideas and discussing sustainable tourism development.
The event will feature several forums, including a mayors’ forum focusing on innovation and sustainability in tourism development. Additionally, a themed forum on aviation and tourism will be held, along with trade forums that will facilitate business discussions among tourism organisations and travel agencies from Hong Kong, Beijing, and other international cities.
Mrs Cheung highlighted that the summit presents a significant opportunity for these organisations to explore different tourism resources and products, as well as negotiate business agreements, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” in the global tourism landscape.
In addition to the tourism summit, cultural conferences are also making a splash on Hong Kong’s events calendar. The Museum Summit 2025 took place at the Convention & Exhibition Centre at the end of March. It garnered record-high participation from over 7,000 registrants who hailed from 39 countries. One-third of attendees were non-local.
The forum was organised by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department, in partnership with The Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts in France. Themed “Going Beyond”, it brought together over 30 experts and leaders in the sector, from 17 countries, to share experiences, research findings, and ideas. Delegates included more than 40 museum practitioners from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Museum Alliance and Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states.
Furthermore, the 13th Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum is scheduled to take place from April 22 to 23. The event will promote cultural co-operation across the Asian region, allowing attendees to share strategies for promoting culture and the arts. It will also reinforce Hong Kong’s role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.