Budget Speech

Promotion Strategies

55.      We have worked with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) to adjust promotion strategies. We will develop new tourism products and step up promotion in high-growth source markets. These include Japanese seniors, the young Taiwanese and Indian families. The governments of Hong Kong and Japan have designated 2009 as "Hong Kong-Japan Tourism Exchange Year" to promote Hong Kong's diversified tourism products to Japan and arouse Japanese visitor interest in Hong Kong. The Government has also decided to finance the construction of the Kai Tak cruise terminal. Work is expected to commence this year. The project is expected to create over 3 000 jobs in the next few years. We are actively discussing with The Walt Disney Company the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland and any capital realignment of the joint-venture company involved. We hope that agreement will soon be reached on a proposal that will both make Hong Kong Disneyland more attractive as well as serve the overall interests of Hong Kong.