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South China Morning Post
12 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's Paul Chan expects tourism sector to make robust recovery in 2025
Hong Kong's finance chief expects the tourism sector to make a robust recovery this year, citing the 10 and 18 per cent year-on-year growth in the number of mainland Chinese and international visitor arrivals recorded in the first five months of 2025. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said he was confident the figures would continue to go up, partly thanks to a series of mega-events set to be held throughout the year. In his weekly blog on Sunday, he noted that the city recorded about 20 million visitor arrivals in the first five months of the year, with mainlanders accounting for about three-quarters of the figure. In comparison, Hong Kong logged about 18 million visitor arrivals between January and May of last year. Among that figure, mainland travellers made up nearly 80 per cent. Chan attributed the growth to the city's recent hosting of a string of mega-events such as the Hong Kong Sevens and the Art Basel fair in March, and the ongoing Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival. 'The diverse carriers bring together common fans from local and surrounding areas, including more than 80 million compatriots in the Greater Bay Area, as well as friends from the rest of the mainland and other parts of Asia,' he wrote.
South China Morning Post
06-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong poised to approve Victoria Harbour reclamation for private yacht bays
Yacht bays proposed for Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour could be the first private projects to benefit from new legislation facilitating small-scale reclamation, expected to be passed on Wednesday, according to a watchdog and a surveyor. Advertisement However, the amended law, which exempts small projects from the reclamation ban in Victoria Harbour, has also sparked concerns about the potential privatisation of natural resources amid calls for authorities to ensure public access. The current legal framework forbids any reclamation in the harbour unless it is proven to have an 'overriding public need' supported by 'cogent and convincing materials'. The government deemed this too stringent for minor works intended to enhance the waterfront. The Development Bureau's proposed legal changes would allow small-scale reclamation of 0.8 hectares or less, including for erecting specified structures designed to enhance the harbour, such as piers, boardwalks, and moorings. However, such projects would require approval from the Financial Secretary following consultation with the government-appointed Harbourfront Commission advisory body and district councillors. Advertisement The legal amendments would also permit temporary reclamation not exceeding three hectares, with a seven-year completion time frame, subject to stakeholder consultation and government approval, and the submission of an annual progress report.
