The Tourism Strategy Committee, chaired by Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law, held its fourth meeting today.
During the meeting, representatives from Kai Tak Sports Park Limited and the Development Bureau briefed the committee on matters relating to the sports park, and the preliminary land use proposal for sites around Hung Hom Station and nearby waterfront areas.
Members praised the sports park, highlighting that it has impressed visitors and boosted the tourism industry. They also put forward suggestions for optimising transportation and catering arrangements during mega events and for strengthening cross-sector collaboration with the tourism industry.
Regarding the preliminary land use proposal for sites around Hung Hom Station and nearby waterfront areas, committee members remarked that given their location on Victoria Harbour, the waterfront areas are well-positioned for redevelopment into a new harbourfront landmark that can integrate leisure, entertainment, dining, retail, and water-friendly elements.
Members agreed that the water body adjacent to the former Hung Hom Freight Yard should be put to use, and commented that the proposed world-class yacht berthing facilities could be integrated with land-based facilities for retail, dining and entertainment so as to promote yacht tourism. They also recommended that the Government provide space for land-side ancillary facilities to support the operation of the yacht berthing facilities.
The bureau is currently consulting the public and stakeholders on the preliminary land use proposal, and the Government will take into account members’ recommendations and the feedback received during the consultation period when refining the proposal and finalising the development parameters. The target is to commence relevant statutory procedures in the second half of 2026.
Separately, members exchanged views with Tourism Board representatives regarding the city’s latest tourism performance and statistics.
For the first five months of 2025, Hong Kong had more than 20 million visitor arrivals, a 12% increase year on year. Among these visitors, about 15 million came from the Mainland, a 10% rise on the same period in 2024. Visitor arrivals from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan rose more than 25%. For Australia, growth of 35% was recorded.
