Latest news with #Cheuk
HKFP
5 days ago
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong gov't unveils measures to tap into elderly's purchasing power, push ‘silver economy'
Hong Kong authorities have announced a slew of measures to leverage the purchasing power of the city's senior citizens, including spending incentives, insurance products, and re-employment schemes. On Tuesday, the Working Group on Promoting Silver Economy, chaired by Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk, unveiled 30 measures to boost spending among senior citizens, develop elderly-focused products, enhance financial security, and encourage re-employment. Cheuk said at a press conference on Tuesday that people aged 60 and above spent about HK$342 billion last year, accounting for about 11 per cent of the city's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 'The elderly account for a large proportion of Hong Kong's population. With favourable financial conditions and purchasing power, they are a huge consumer group that cannot be overlooked, as they create a huge demand for silver economy-related products and services,' he said. Cheuk said the new measures would 'inject vitality into the local economy and promote overall economic development, as well as [spur] the cultivation of high-quality silver products and service modes, so that the elderly can share the fruits of development.' However, the government would not set performance goals for the measures, as they would be outsourced, and their results would be 'rather beyond the control of the administration,' the deputy chief secretary said. He added that it would be 'quite substantial' if the elderly's annual spending could increase by 5 per cent per annum, amounting to a rise of HK$17 billion in the first year. Discounts, insurance, jobs To drive consumption, the retail sector will provide elderly discounts, the catering sector and food manufacturers will offer meals suitable for the elderly, while the Trade Development Council will supply 'silver products' aimed at the needs of senior citizens. The working group also announced measures to promote quality assurance for elderly-focused products through quality standards and accreditation schemes, including elderly-accessible building designs. It also announced financial security arrangements, including cross-boundary elderly care insurance products, strengthened financial planning, and anti-scam education for the elderly. To unleash 'silver productivity,' the government will assist senior citizens to re-enter the workforce through retraining programmes and job fairs. The Labour and Welfare Bureau will also review existing schemes such as the Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme and the Employment Programme for the Elderly and Middle-aged 'to further explore measures to encourage the employment of persons aged 60 or above.' The formation of the government working group was listed as one of the policies in Chief Executive John Lee's 2024 Policy Address, in which he cited the 'growing demand for products and services catering to the elderly' due to the rapid expansion of the silver market.
RTHK
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTHK
Lights, camera, action as Walled City show lives on
Lights, camera, action as Walled City show lives on Officials at the launch of the 'Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey' exhibition. Photo: RTHK Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk says the show at the Kowloon Walled City Park is much bigger than two earlier versions. Photo: RTHK SAR tourism officials and film veterans on Friday hailed the launch of a new exhibition that allows people to take a deep dive into iconic 1980s life at Kowloon Walled City using replica movie sets, saying the attraction will create new economic benefits. The launch of the three-year show – "Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey" – came after the government on Tuesday unveiled a total of nine tourism hotspots, including the exhibition, to woo tourists for in-depth tours. In an opening ceremony for the exhibition, Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk said the show – which is located at Kowloon Walled City Park, the site of the original slum city – is much bigger than two earlier versions of the exhibition that were held at the airport and Kai Tak. The exhibition features replica movie sets from last year's "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" hit film. "The film scene exhibition not only attracts more visitors to the park but also connects to scenic spots in Kowloon City, such as the Kai Tak Sports Park, urban views and Thai-style cuisine in the district," Cheuk said. "Through various tourist routes within the area, tourists can experience the authentic culture of Hong Kong and taste different delicacies. "At the same time, this can boost consumption in the area and create economic benefits." The exhibition is the third to feature the hit movie and will present more iconic sets from the film, including a barber, tailor and fish-ball shops as well as a bing sutt precursor to today's cha chan teng. Visitors will be able to explore the exhibition using interactive technology to experience the lives of residents living in the walled city back in the 1980s. Officials will also roll out designs using augmented technology in the district from the third quarter of this year. Hong Kong Film Development Council chairman Wilfred Wong said the show will allow visitors to learn more about Hong Kong's history. He added that large projection screens installed on rooftops will give people a sense of what days and nights are like living in Kowloon Walled City, with special sound effects, such as of planes reverberating over the district.
RTHK
22-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
Red tape cut in bid to boost industrial tourism: govt
Red tape cut in bid to boost industrial tourism: govt Warner Cheuk said officials have contacted other firms to join industrial tourism projects. File photo: RTHK Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk said on Thursday that the government has relaxed rules for local companies so they can take part in initiatives to boost industrial tourism. Four brands – food company Lee Kum Kee, bakery chain Kee Wah, sauce producer Pat Chun and probiotics company Yakult – will soon be hosting visitor tours at their factories in Hong Kong. These are among nine tourism projects announced on Tuesday to offer more variety for visitors. Cheuk said officials have made the factory visits possible by simplifying application procedures to allow the companies, whose factories are located within InnoParks or former industrial estates, to take part in industrial tourism. "The stage is used to be constraints such that the factories couldn't let people visit the premises commercially," he said on a Commercial Radio programme. "We've now remove barriers and made sure the projects comply with town planning requirements." Programme hosts asked whether or not the government had asked TVB to consider taking part, saying the broadcaster could be attractive to visitors from the mainland and Southeast Asian countries who watch its programmes. Cheuk said officials had spoken to the station, but added that whether or not companies take part depends on their own business considerations. The minister went on to say that planting dozens of pink trumpet and bougainvillea trees near the harbourfront at Tamar Park should create what he called a "powerful, full blossom" scene near Victoria Harbour.
HKFP
21-05-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong names 9 hotspots in new tourism drive
Soy sauce factory Lee Kum Kee, Yau Ma Tei Police Station, and Hong Kong's hill and mountain peaks are among nine locations a government working group has named in a new tourism drive. Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk, who chairs the Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots, said the nine locations underlined 'the concept of 'tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong,'' referencing the notion put forward by Beijing's top official on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Cheuk said the new tourism offerings showcased Hong Kong's characteristics and were photogenic. Sauce makers Lee Kum Kee and Pat Chun, bakery Kee Wah, and yoghurt drink company Yakult will hold tours starting in the third quarter of this year. Authorities will also develop tourism offerings around the city's 'four peaks': The Peak, Lantau Peak, Sai Kung Hoi, and Tai Mo Shan. The peaks' drive will begin late next year. The government also plans to open the Edwardian-style building of the former Yau Ma Tei Police Station to visitors, organise trips to sites related to the city's disciplined services, and host regular themed bazaars at Causeway Bay's Victoria Park. The disciplined services' museums, including the Police Museum and the Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum, will launch tourism offerings in the second quarter of this year. A bazaar at Victoria Park is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter, operating on weekends and public holidays. Kowloon City and Central have also been designated as 'in-depth' tourism destinations. The government has been promoting 'in-depth' tourism, which focuses on the city's culture and history, to attract visitors from different markets. Cheuk said that 'new travel patterns and tourists' preferences increasingly value hotspots with unique features that are part of the flavour of Hong Kong.' No performance goals He also said the working group would not set performance goals for arrivals in relation to the new tourism drive, citing the difficulty of quantifying its effect. 'I think common sense will tell you that these nine projects, seven of which will be implemented by the end of this year, will together considerably add to the overall appeal of Hong Kong as a tourist destination [for] overseas visitors and also visitors from the mainland,' he added. Asked about the phenomenon of low-budget mainland Chinese visitors, Cheuk rubbished the notion that mainland tourists were not spending enough. 'I believe the reports were magnified and exaggerated,' he said. 'Don't be misled by one or two images into thinking that many tourists don't spend money when visiting Hong Kong.'
RTHK
21-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
Nine hotspots 'cater to new normal in tourism'
Nine hotspots 'cater to new normal in tourism' Warner Cheuk said the projects, like opening up the old Yau Ma Tei Police Station, should fit the appetite of mainland visitors' new travel patterns. File photo: RTHK The government said the nine projects to develop tourism hotspots that it unveiled on Tuesday should be able to accommodate the preferences of visitors under "a new normal" for travel patterns. The cost of the projects – which include setting up a Victoria Park bazaar and in-depth tours of Kowloon City and opening up the old Yau Ma Tei police station – will be between HK$20 million and HK$30 million. The figure does not include revitalisation costs for a freight yard in Hung Hom. Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk, who heads a working group on the matter, said there have been more mainland travellers who are spending less and coming to Hong Kong on day trips. But he said on an RTHK programme that either they're now travelling in a more economical manner or there aren't enough tourism products that fit their appetite. Cheuk said the new hotspots should then fit right in. "Among projects that we've chosen, we try to cater for the preferences and travel patterns of visitors under the new normal," he said. "We know they value our local culture, whether they can get a taste of Hong Kong. "So we have all kinds of projects this time." Cheuk said a new trumpet tree garden near Tamar Park will allow visitors to get a different taste of Victoria Harbour, while "Four Peaks Tourism" goes with the rising popularity of local eco-tourism among hikers. He said the routes can link up with food and consumption places and that he's not too concerned about the routes getting too crowded or polluted, saying these can be resolved by educational and promotional campaigns on social media platforms such as RedNote. "For eco-tours right now, there are indeed people who litter, but the problem isn't that bad," Cheuk said. Speaking on Commercial Radio, the assistant director for country parks in the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Jackie Yip, said a prerequisite for eco-tourism developments is environmental protection. She said the "four peaks" – The Peak, Lantau Peak, Sai Kung Hoi and Tai Mo Shan – all have relatively developed transport network and greater capacity.
