Kowloon City tours among new projects to woo visitors
Kowloon City tours among new projects to woo visitors
Measures are underway to beautify Central through artistic elements. File photo: RTHK
Victoria Park markets, in depth-tours of Kowloon City and opening up the old Yau Ma Tei Police Station were among the projects announced by the Working Group on Developing Tourism Hotspots on Tuesday.
A total of nine items will be launched from the second quarter of this year to attract more tourists, including eco-tours, food tours, cultural tours and check-in photo spots.
Measures are underway to add artistic elements to Central and Kowloon City, while connecting nearby attractions to boost retail and catering in the two areas.
Visitors can get a glimpse of the iconic scenes in local movie "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" at Kowloon Walled City Park and experience historical views of the district using AR technology.
Officials also said they plan to develop "Four Peaks Tourism", involving The Peak, Lantau Peak, Sai Kung Hoi and Tai Mo Shan, inspired by the popular documentary Four Trails.
These trails offer unique natural landscapes with convenient public transport access and can be completed in half a day, officials said.
Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk, who heads the group, said the initiatives aim to showcase Hong Kong's unique characteristics and cater to new travel preferences.
At a press conference, Cheuk said he is optimistic that the projects will bring a "considerable number of visitors" to the city.
"Together, they considerably add to the overall appeal of Hong Kong as a tourist destination to overseas visitors and visitors from the mainland," he said.
"In that sense, the projects will result in economic benefits to Hong Kong, and will also benefit the industries involved like the hotel, catering, retail and transportation sectors."
Four industrial brands – food company Lee Kam Kee, bakery chain Kee Wah, sauce producer Pat Chun, and probiotics company Yakult – also confirmed they will organise tours with travel agencies from the third quarter.
Excluding a project to revitalise the former Hung Hom Railway freight yard, Cheuk said the remaining eight items will cost between HK$20 million and HK$30 million in total.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
12 hours ago
- RTHK
'All MPF schemes to be onboarded to eMPF this year'
'All MPF schemes to be onboarded to eMPF this year' The managing director of the MPFA Cheng Yan-chee says the platform is expected to save administration costs of up to HK$40 billion over 10 years. Photo: RTHK The managing director of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA), Cheng Yan-chee, on Saturday said the authority aims to transfer all MPF accounts to the eMPF Platform within this year. The one-stop platform, which came into operation in June last year, aims to streamline and automate the administrative work of MPF schemes. Speaking on a radio programme, Cheng said the authority is undergoing the second phase of onboarding schemes to the platform, and all MPF accounts can be viewed on the site within this year. "We had our first phase of onboarding from June to October last year, involving small-scale trustees. They have fewer employee and employer accounts. They account for two percent of the total number of accounts in the city," he said. "The second phase is from March to August, dealing with midsize trustees who have more accounts. After this phase, one-fourth of all accounts will be onboarded to the platform." The director said he expects the platform to help reduce administration costs and save up to HK$40 billion in the coming 10 years. Meanwhile, Cheng said the authority is reviewing the maximum and minimum levels of MPF contributions, considering factors such as the socioeconomic situation and income distribution, and will hand in a report to the government next year.
South China Morning Post
21 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
More must be done in Hong Kong's cybercrime campaign
Far too many companies in Hong Kong have left themselves vulnerable to cyberattacks, according to a new police review that should warn all operators to immediately step up their game. Regular security checks are required by law for private firms with infrastructure deemed 'critical' for the normal functioning of society. The rules in place since March apply to an undisclosed list of players in sectors such as energy, information technology, banking, communications, maritime, healthcare and transport. Advertisement Police recently found that about 5 per cent of publicly accessible technology assets owned by such operators were vulnerable to online attacks. A first-of-its-kind review turned up loopholes in 4,500 out of 90,000 pieces of technology assets examined. The force also revealed that it had received over 440,000 pieces of intelligence on cyberthreats targeting the city last year. Hacking cases have been rising, with losses surging over the past two years. Greater diligence is required. Regulated firms have more than just a fear of hackers to prompt better security. Under the law, they may be fined up to HK$5 million for failing to keep their systems up to date. The companies are also now obliged to notify authorities of any breach within 12 hours. It is encouraging that police have quickly carried out an initial review. They found 495 assets at critical or high risk with issues such as staff login credentials exposed, unused subdomains that risk being taken over by hackers, or cloud services exposed to external access. Raymond Lam Cheuk-ho, chief superintendent of the cybersecurity and technology crime bureau, said if those 'critical or high-risk loopholes' were exploited, serious disruptions would be 'extremely likely'. Advertisement Companies involved have already taken steps to remedy loopholes discovered in the survey, but it is worrying that cyberattacks exploited obvious vulnerabilities such as insufficient monitoring of remote access computers, outdated security software, or poor cyberthreat response policies.
HKFP
a day ago
- HKFP
Hong Kong hails ‘overwhelming support' for legalising basketball betting, proposes 50% levy on profits
The Hong Kong government has hailed 'overwhelming support' from scholars, athletes, and youth groups for its plan to legalise basketball betting in the city, following the conclusion of a one-month public consultation last month. Ninety-four per cent of the 1,063 submissions received by the government between April and May 'expressed support or positive views' on the proposal to regulate basketball betting under the Betting Duty Ordinance, according to a paper submitted by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau to the Legislative Council on Thursday. Those who supported the legal amendment said public demand for basketball betting has 'increased significantly,' and a regulatory regime can protect bettors' rights and interests. The government proposed in April to amend the ordinance to grant the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs the power to issue a basketball betting license to the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). The regulatory regime will mirror the existing one for football betting, the government said. In the paper released on Thursday, the government proposed imposing a 50 per cent levy on the net profits from basketball betting. Citing responses from supporters of the legislative proposal, the government said the HKJC may donate its additional revenue to welfare and charitable purposes. The tax revenue generated may also help the government allocate more resources on social welfare, supporters said, according to the government. Financial Secretary Paul Chan first unveiled the government's intention to regulate basketball betting during his 2025 budget speech in February. He said the legalisation could tackle illegal gambling and raise tax revenue amid the city's estimated deficit of HK$87.2 billion. The finance chief projected that regulating basketball betting could generate HK$1.5 billion to HK$2 billion in tax revenue. The government acknowledged on Thursday that 36 submissions – or 3.4 per cent of the responses collected – opposed the proposal. Those who objected raised concerns about the adverse impact of basketball betting on the youth, adding illegal gambling still existed after football betting was legalised. Responding to the concerns, the government said in the paper that the impact of betting activities on young people has been 'steady' in recent years. The proportion of bettors aged between 18 and 21 also 'consistently remained below two per cent,' the government said quoting the HKJC. Some suggested the government to prohibit individuals aged between 18 and 25 from placing bets online, while others proposed imposing restrictions on the amount and number of bets that can be placed by young people. The paper submitted on Thursday is set to be discussed by lawmakers on the Legislative Council's Panel on Home Affairs, Culture and Sports on Monday. 'Disastrous move' In February, the Hong Kong Committee on Children's Rights criticised the government's plan to regulate basketball betting, saying that giving a green light to basketball betting was a 'disastrous move.' The group said popularising sports betting could 'lure' young people to bet with their limited financial resources that should otherwise go to other needs. Gambling loss may also result in psychological pressure and guilt, which may deter individuals from seeking help, it said, warning that gamblers could enter a 'vicious cycle' where they turn to lending agencies or engage in criminal activities.
