Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law today promulgated the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0, proposing four positions, four development strategies and 133 measures for the industry.

The four positions are reinforcing the role of Hong Kong as an international tourism hub and core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism; highlighting its local cultural characteristics and making use of its status as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange; upholding its role as a city with high-quality tourism experiences; and stressing the importance of quality over quantity in building the city into a demonstration point for sustainable tourism.

One of the development strategies, covering 46 measures, is to nurture and develop tourism products and initiatives with local and international characteristics.

This strategy focuses on promoting in-depth integration of tourism with culture, sports, ecology and mega events, the four areas in which Hong Kong possesses world-class resources that the Government believes have yet to be fully presented to global visitors.

The second strategy is to develop a diversified portfolio of visitor source markets for Hong Kong, with a focus on attracting high value-added overnight visitors.

Covering 37 measures, this strategy adopts the approach of developing potential source markets while consolidating existing core markets, and of rolling out promotions targeting specific segments in order to encourage more meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions visitors, and cruise passengers, to visit Hong Kong.

This strategy also aims to expand the “silver-haired”, family, study tour and youth source markets.

The third strategy is the promotion of smart tourism, and involves 19 measures. Directions include facilitating and enhancing visitors' experiences and improving the competitiveness of the industry.

Through the use of information technology such as electronic platforms, big data and artificial intelligence, Hong Kong will aim to enhance the smartness of its tourism services and add smart elements to tourist attractions to provide visitors with more convenient, efficient and user-friendly travel experiences.

The final strategy is to enhance the tourism industry's service quality and levels of support on all fronts and to cultivate talent. With 31 measures to be implemented under this strategy, it aims to attract talent, nurture professionals, enhance service quality and improve hardware support.

“Everyone is a tourism ambassador who will be able to receive visitors with enthusiasm and friendliness and spread the energy and image of Hong Kong to cultivate a harmonious, cohesive and vibrant tourism atmosphere together,” Miss Law said.

“The Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau will continue to lead the travel trade in enhancing Hong Kong's tourism competitiveness in all aspects, reinvigorate Hong Kong's tourism industry, and jointly contribute to the healthy and prosperous development of the tourism industry.”