Hong Kong adds mega events to boost tourism

HONG KONG, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Tuesday said that Hong Kong will host over 210 mega events in 2024, up from the 150 initially planned early this year, hoping to attract an estimated 1.7 million tourists.

HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said that these tourists are expected to spend around 7.2 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 923 million U.S. dollars).

Hosting mega events have paid off economically, he said, noting that tourist visits to Hong Kong in the first four months doubled the figure a year ago to 14.62 million.

The mega events slated for the second half of 2024 include conferences and exhibitions, cultural and art events, sport games, as well as activities related to sci-tech innovation, Michael Wong, deputy financial secretary of the HKSAR government, said at a press conference.

Wong said the HKSAR government will continue working to set the stage for business opportunities for various industries in Hong Kong to seize and monetize.