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政府「吸客」措施漸見成效 / Government's "attraction" measures are gradually showing results
文章
文章刊登時是年初五,我先在此恭祝各位讀者蛇年福星高照、萬事如意、闔家安康。
過去一年,特區政府推出了多項政策措施振興本地經濟,尤其在旅遊業方面着墨甚多。雖然旅遊業仍然處於復蘇階段,但從來訪的旅客數字上看,政府的措施已初見成效。
旅遊發展局總幹事程鼎一先生在一個電台節目中透露,由大除夕至年初三,約有68 萬人次旅客訪港,其中內地旅客有56.4 萬人次,比去年同期多4%;非內地旅客則有11.4 萬人次,上升16%。
我認為訪港旅客數量上升主要得益於兩個因素:客源市場的擴大及更為多元的旅遊體驗。
為積極吸引更多不同的旅客來港,行政長官於去年《施政報告》中提出要開拓中東和東南亞國家聯盟(東盟)旅客客源。就此,特區政府率領歷來到訪中東最大規模的本地業界訪問團到迪拜參與中東地區的大型旅遊業展覽,與當地旅遊業界建立連繫,希望吸引更多穆斯林旅客訪港。有關措施的成效亦十分顯著:旅遊發展局的數據顯示,來自卡塔爾、阿聯酋及沙特阿拉伯等海灣合作國家的旅客於去年12 月就錄得46.4% 升幅!此外,來自日本、韓國、菲律賓及俄羅斯等地的旅客亦有顯著的升幅。
除積極開拓更多新的客源市場外,政府亦有努力發展更多具香港特色的旅遊景點,希望擺脫過往香港旅遊業依賴餐飲及零售消費的印象,以加強旅客在港的體驗。比方說,香港市民習以為常的賽馬對於內地遊客而言就顯得十分新奇。年初三在沙田馬場舉行的「農曆新年賽馬日」就吸引共9654 名遊客入場,其中內地旅客佔高達九成,反映活動對遊客有着相當的吸引力。
我認為,隨着政府逐步落實《香港旅遊業發展藍圖2.0》中的各項措施,旅業復蘇的速度將進一步加快,重新發揮其作為香港四大支柱產業之一的功能,幫助香港經濟「再起飛」。
Government's "attraction" measures are gradually showing results
At the time of publication, it was already the fifth day of the Chinese New Year. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my best wishes to all readers for a prosperous Year of the Snake, good fortune, and health for the whole family.
Over the past year, the SAR government has implemented multiple policy measures to revitalize the local economy, with a particular emphasis on the tourism industry. Although the tourism sector is still in the process of recovery, the government's measures have shown initial signs of success based on the number of visitors.
Mr. Dane Cheng, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, revealed during a radio program that from the eve of Lunar New Year to the third day of the new year, approximately 680,000 visitors came to Hong Kong. Among them, there were about 564,000 mainland Chinese visitors, an increase of 4% compared to the same period last year; non-mainland visitors numbered 114,000, an increase of 16%.
I believe the increase in visitor numbers is mainly due to two factors: the expansion of the source market and a more diverse tourism experience.
To actively attract a more diverse range of visitors to Hong Kong, the Chief Executive proposed in last year's Policy Address to explore the source markets of the Middle East and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. In response, the SAR government led the largest local industry delegation to Dubai for a major tourism expo in the Middle East, establishing connections with the local tourism industry in the hope of attracting more Muslim visitors to Hong Kong. The effectiveness of these measures is also significant: according to data from the Hong Kong Tourism Board, visitors from Gulf Cooperation Council countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia recorded a 46.4% increase in December last year! In addition, visitors from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Russia also saw significant increases.
In addition to actively exploring new source markets, the government is also making efforts to develop more tourist attractions with unique Hong Kong characteristics, aiming to move away from the impression that Hong Kong tourism has traditionally relied on dining and retail consumption to enhance the visitor experience in Hong Kong. For example, horse racing, a common activity for Hong Kong residents, appears very novel to mainland Chinese tourists. The "Lunar New Year Race Day" held at Sha Tin Racecourse on the third day of the Lunar New Year attracted a total of 9,654 visitors, with mainland Chinese tourists accounting for as much as 90%, reflecting the considerable appeal of the event to visitors.
I believe that as the government gradually implements various measures outlined in the "Hong Kong Tourism Industry Development Blueprint 2.0", the pace of tourism industry recovery will further accelerate, allowing it to once again play its role as one of Hong Kong's four pillar industries, assisting Hong Kong's economy in "taking off" once again.
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