Latest news with #HongKongSevens
HKFP
19-05-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong seeks to turn To Kwa Wan waterfront into tourism hotspot channelling Sydney's Darling Harbour
Hong Kong's urban redevelopment body is looking into redeveloping a Victoria Harbour waterfront area in eastern Kowloon into a tourism cove with restaurants and outdoor music venues. In a blog post on Sunday, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) managing director, Wai Chi-sing, said that the authority had begun a study on the possibility of developing To Kwa Wan into a world-class harbourfront development, which he dubbed the 'Victoria Cove Area.' Wai said the development would be similar to Sydney's Darling Harbour, formerly an industrial harbour that was redeveloped in the 1980s. It would also draw inspiration from the Aker Brygge promenade in Oslo, a former shipyard, he added. The official said that the URA's study, which began in March, covered an 800-hectare area of land and water, including parts of To Kwa Wan, Kowloon Bay, and Kai Tak – the site of a flagship sports park and proposed major commercial, tourism, and residential developments. The study suggested that some idle barges on the To Kwa Wan waterfront could be converted into restaurants, concert stages, swimming pools, or floating beaches, while two breakwaters in the area could host art installations. The neighbouring waters off the Kai Tak Sports Park, with their calm currents, would be suitable for water sports such as rowing or canoeing, or for floating platforms that could be used as performance stages. The sports park is touted by the government as a state-of-the-art venue for large-scale events in a bid to boost tourism amid the city's slow recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. It hosted the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament in March and sold-out concerts by British band Coldplay last month. Wai added that proposals for the waterfront development would have to comply with regulatory and licensing regimes, and would require technical impact assessments and consultations with stakeholders such as the government and barge operators. Watersports should not interfere with shipping routes, and restaurants must have the appropriate licenses, he said. A consultant has begun discussions with various government departments and is expected to submit a preliminary report and feasibility study to the URA in the second half of the year. Meanwhile, recent legislative amendments loosening rules for creating new land through reclamation could make the development process easier, Wai said. On May 7, the Legislative Council passed a law making it easier for the government to create new land through reclamation in Victoria Harbour – despite objections from environmental activists. The Development Bureau said it would allow fast-tracking smaller reclamation works measuring 0.8 hectares or less and would 'enhance harbourfront areas for public enjoyment.'
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Fiji winger Raisuqe dies after road accident in France
FILE PHOTO: Fiji's Josaia Raisuqe is tackled by New Zealand's Ambrose Curtis (R) during the final of Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament in Hong Kong March 29, 2015. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo Fiji international Josaia Raisuqe has died after a road accident in France where he played for Top 14 side Castres, the club said on Thursday. "Castres Olympique is in mourning," they said in a statement. "It is with a heavy heart that we learned of the death this morning in a road accident of our player Josaia Raisuqe... he was a wonderful teammate who was much appreciated by everyone." Winger Raisuqe, 30, was part of the Fiji sevens team who won the silver medal at last year's Paris Olympics. He joined Castres in 2021. "He was a radiant young man both on and off the pitch who was a pillar of the Fijian community that we have at the club and to which we are very attached," Castres President Pierre-Yves Revol said. Saturday's Top 14 match between Castres and Clermont Auvergne has been postponed, France's National Rugby League said in a statement. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
South China Morning Post
01-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong banks offer Liverpool, Jay Chou tickets and rebates to win new wealthy clients
Banks target growing pool of wealthy mainland Chinese visitors to Hong Kong during May 1-5 golden week holiday Banks in Hong Kong are doing their best to lure new wealthy clients among mainland Chinese visitors to the city, offering tickets to Liverpool vs AC Milan football match and access to concerts by Taiwanese singer Jay Chou, in addition to cash rebates. They were among notable incentives rolled out by lenders including Standard Chartered, HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong), Citigroup and the Bank of East Asia during the golden week holiday, highlighting the stiff competition in selling investment products and gathering cheap deposits to spur lending. The holiday, which runs from May 1 to 5, is expected to attract 840,000 visitors from mainland China, which would amount to a 10 per cent increase from a year earlier, according to government estimates. Mainland Chinese visitors rose 31 per cent to 34 million last year, accounting for 77 per cent of all arrivals in Hong Kong, official data showed. They are known to be major investors in insurance products sold in the city. 'Many mainland Chinese customers will seize the opportunity to address their banking and wealth-management needs while visiting Hong Kong,' said Winnie Ng, head of distribution sales management for wealth and personal banking at HSBC Hong Kong. 'We have adopted an experience-led approach in designing our offerings and privileges.' Fans descend on new Kai Tak Stadium for Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament Many banks are pushing deeper into the more lucrative wealth-management business in Hong Kong and mainland China as traditional lending suffers from weak consumer confidence. Retail banks' net interest margin shrank to 1.54 per cent in the second half of 2024 from 1.73 per cent a year earlier, according to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Hong Kong, which had HK$31 trillion (US$4 trillion) in assets under management in 2023, could overtake Switzerland by 2027 as the world's top hub for cross-border wealth-management services, according to forecasts from the Boston Consulting Group. Standard Chartered is offering two tickets to the football match between Liverpool and AC Milan for existing and new priority private clients in the Greater Bay Area with at least US$1 million in assets. The match will be played at the Kai Tak Stadium on July 26 during an off-season Asian tour. Newsletter SCMP Global Impact By submitting, you consent to receiving marketing emails from SCMP. If you don't want these, tick here {{message}} Thanks for signing up for our newsletter! Please check your email to confirm your subscription. Follow us on Facebook to get our latest news. The UK banking group is also offering a welcome gift worth HK$51,888 to mainland visitors who open new accounts with minimum deposit and investment thresholds, according to Eliza Law, head of the affluent segment and distribution. 'Standard Chartered is always keen on offering tailor-made wealth solutions and financial planning services for high-net-worth customers,' she said. The bank would extend its opening hours during the holiday, she added. Exclusive: Standard Chartered's Bill Winters shares his plans to expand in Hong Kong HSBC is offering tickets to undisclosed concert events at the Kai Tak Sports Park in the coming months, a spokesperson said. Taiwanese pop band Mayday and singer Jay Chou will perform there in May and June, respectively. Last month, Cantopop singer Nicholas Tse Ting-fung and British rock band Coldplay performed at the stadium. The city's biggest lender is also offering up to HK$50,000 of incentives to new Premier account holders, including cash rebates of HK$23,000 for those with HK$8 million in bank balances and transactions. A limousine pickup service and tours to Harrow Little Lions and other top overseas boarding schools are also being lined up for clients, it added. Citigroup is offering up to HK$172,000 in cash rebates for new sign-ups to its Citigold Private Client accounts, while ICBC (Asia) will give as much as HK$22,000 in credit card spending for new customers who bring in at least HK$8 million of fresh deposits. Major commercial banks are extending their opening hours on Friday and Saturday, while others are keeping some of their branches in major tourist spots open on Sunday. They include Bank of China (Hong Kong)'s branches in Central, Kai Tak and Causeway Bay. 'Many travellers like to open a bank account in Hong Kong during their visits,' said Sally Liu, deputy general manager of personal banking and wealth management. 'We believe more visitors will use our services this year and we are well prepared to provide cross-border wealth-management services to them.' DBS Bank (Hong Kong) will give travel-related gifts to new account holders while OCBC offers an afternoon tea package at a five-star hotel and HK$48,888 of cash rebates for select wealth management customers. 'Previous promotions during golden week holidays successfully raised brand awareness and increased traffic to branches,' said Maggie Yung, head of Treasures & distribution at DBS Bank (Hong Kong).
South China Morning Post
01-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong banks offer Liverpool, Jay Chou tickets and rebates to win new wealthy clients
Banks in Hong Kong are doing their best to lure new wealthy clients among mainland Chinese visitors to the city, offering tickets to Liverpool vs AC Milan football match and access to concerts by Taiwanese singer Jay Chou, in addition to cash rebates. Advertisement They were among notable incentives rolled out by lenders including Standard Chartered, HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong), Citigroup and the Bank of East Asia during the golden week holiday, highlighting the stiff competition in selling investment products and gathering cheap deposits to spur lending. The holiday, which runs from May 1 to 5, is expected to attract 840,000 visitors from mainland China, which would amount to a 10 per cent increase from a year earlier, according to government estimates. Mainland Chinese visitors rose 31 per cent to 34 million last year, accounting for 77 per cent of all arrivals in Hong Kong, official data showed. They are known to be major investors in insurance products sold in the city. 'Many mainland Chinese customers will seize the opportunity to address their banking and wealth-management needs while visiting Hong Kong,' said Winnie Ng, head of distribution sales management for wealth and personal banking at HSBC Hong Kong. 'We have adopted an experience-led approach in designing our offerings and privileges.' 02:02 Fans descend on new Kai Tak Stadium for Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament Fans descend on new Kai Tak Stadium for Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament Many banks are pushing deeper into the more lucrative wealth-management business in Hong Kong and mainland China as traditional lending suffers from weak consumer confidence. Retail banks' net interest margin shrank to 1.54 per cent in the second half of 2024 from 1.73 per cent a year earlier, according to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Advertisement Hong Kong, which had HK$31 trillion (US$4 trillion) in assets under management in 2023, could overtake Switzerland by 2027 as the world's top hub for cross-border wealth-management services, according to forecasts from the Boston Consulting Group.
IOL News
25-04-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Impi Visser: Blitzboks mean business at Singapore Sevens after Hong Kong loss
Impi Visser Blitzboks co-captain Impi Visser competes against a Kenyan player during at last weekend's Hong Kong Sevens. Photo: World Rugby Image: Zach Franzen World Rugby As one of the leaders in the Springbok Sevens team, Impi Visser constantly wonders what went wrong and how they can fix things when the team do not deliver in the World Rugby SVNS Series. Last weekend's hot-and-cold performance in Hong Kong, where they ended ninth overall, brought more questions than answers for the Blitzboks, but they will look to rectify it at the Singapore Sevens on Saturday and Sunday. It's the final tournament of the regular season, where the league winners will be crowned. Although the South Africans are out of the running to win the title after the slip-up in Hong Kong, they can still have a say in who takes the overall crown. They've been handed a tough draw, with Great Britain and defending champions Argentina waiting on Saturday. But should they beat the South Americans and progress to the cup playoffs, they'll open the door for Fiji or Spain to snatch the title this year. Only the top teams from the four pools will go straight to the semi-finals on Sunday. There will be no quarter-finals, so every match matters this weekend. Impi Visser: 'We know we can be a tough opponent if we do things well ... and that is exactly what our focus will be this weekend' - more here: 🔭#Blitzboks #PoweredByUnity #HSBCSVNS — Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) April 2, 2025 'We are here, and we mean business,' Visser said on Wednesday ahead of the weekend's games. 'Especially after a disappointing weekend in Hong Kong... We fired hot and very cold, and we have a lot of work to do. 'It's time to get stuck in and down to business. As one of the leaders, you always wonder where we can get better – what went wrong, what we need to work on, and if we need to change things. 'Those things constantly run through your mind. 'But once we analysed our footage, we saw it is minor things we need to fix. Small mistakes. 'We didn't play towards our strengths and the systems we've put in place. It was a little disappointing, but we have a weekend to fix that.' Wait for the celebrations - a day to remember for Gino ❤️🇿🇦#Blitzboks #PoweredByUnity — Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) March 31, 2025 They'll face Great Britain in the first pool match on Saturday (7.26am), and according to Visser, it's important not to look too far ahead. Yes, the big match will be against the Argentinians (10.44am), and that will likely determine who will go through. But if the Blitzboks do not start well against Britain, they'll have a difficult task ahead. David Brits and Sebastiaan Jobb were brought in as replacements, and their versatility should add a different edge to the South Africans.
