Hong Kong will introduce themed tourism routes showcasing the city’s most recognisable filming locations and explore upgrading Victoria Park’s Centre Court to host higher-level tennis tournaments, as authorities seek to significantly increase the sector’s economic contribution under the city’s first five-year development plan.
The 2026-30 blueprint aims to raise the tourism industry’s value added from HK$86.2 billion (US$10.9 billion) in 2024 to HK$126 billion by 2030 – an increase of about 40 to 50 per cent. It also targets increasing the proportion of non-mainland Chinese visitors among overnight travellers to 40 per cent by the end of the decade.
Among the more immediate measures unveiled alongside the plan in Wednesday’s policy address were a series of “+ Tourism” initiatives aimed at combining travel with mega-events, finance, industrial brands, ecological conservation and heritage.
The government will also promote film tourism, yacht tourism, urban renewal and homestay accommodation on outlying islands.
“The Hong Kong Tourism Board will offer visitors an immersive experience of Hong Kong’s unique urban landscape and lifestyle, weaving together classic Hong Kong films, district characteristics and local culture,” Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Wednesday.
A government source said the initiative would be a campaign that the board aimed to launch on its website within the year, promoting famous filming locations across the city.
“The programme will also look at businesses around these landmarks and recommend what visitors can shop for and eat nearby,” she said.
The second phase of a film exhibition at the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station will also open in early 2027.
The attraction welcomed about 77,000 visitors in its first eight months, with more than 90 per cent of those who registered attending, the source said.
Authorities will also establish a one-stop Support Unit for Non-local Film Productions in the first quarter of 2027 to help mainland and overseas crews hoping to use Hong Kong as a filming location.
Another source said it would help with logistical matters such as visas, venue finding and coordination with government departments.
“For example, if you want to close down a street in Tsim Sha Tsui to film a car-chase scene, it involves a lot of departments, including police, and we can help with that,” the source said.
On sports, the government will begin a study next year into redeveloping Victoria Park’s Centre Court into an all-weather multipurpose venue capable of hosting larger higher-level sporting competitions and performances.
“Hong Kong’s overall tennis sector has high potential to develop as an industry, whether in terms of public interest or the performance of local athletes,” a government source said.
The existing venue can host tournaments at around the ATP 250 level, while authorities want an upgraded stadium capable of staging at least ATP 500 events.
This would require capacity for about 7,000 spectators among other improvements.
The government source added that construction could begin in about four to five years.
The initiatives form part of a broader five-year tourism strategy calling for deeper thematic travel experiences, more city-walk routes, horse racing and culinary tourism, island-hopping activities, and world-class mega-events combining sport and culture.
Hong Kong will also seek to become a “core demonstration zone” for multi-destination tourism and a southern gateway for overseas visitors entering mainland China. Authorities hope to encourage travellers to extend their Hong Kong trips to the Greater Bay Area and other mainland destinations.
A third source said the concept was intended to showcase multi-destination travel, with Hong Kong serving as an entry or exit point for overseas visitors because of its connectivity and ease of travel.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said successful measures needed to be “deepened, broadened and sustained”, while long-running policies should be adjusted or expanded where necessary.
“Good hardware and appropriate policies are not enough. We still need to tell Hong Kong’s story well,” she posted on social media shortly after the documents’ release.
The policy address also eased the way for homestay accommodation on outlying islands by allowing the Home Affairs Department to disregard deed restrictions on guest house use when processing licence applications for buildings of three storeys or fewer.
Operators will still need to obtain a guest house licence and comply with requirements, including fire-safety rules. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
