Govt mulls ‘penalty’ over mega-event flops

Organizers of some of Hong Kong’s mega-event misses could be “punished” when they rent public venues in future, said Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui on Wednesday.

The tourism chief told LegCo today that the government is constantly reviewing existing mechanisms to make sure government-funded events will not damage Hong Kong’s image.

For non-government-funded events, she said authorities would include clauses in public facilities rental contracts reminding organizers they could face difficulties in future rentals should they fail to impress.

Meanwhile, Law highlighted that around 4.2 million people, including 1.5 million tourists, participated in 350 large-scale concerts held in Hong Kong from 2023 to 2024, averaging 15 concerts per month.

The tourist attendees contributed HK$3.7 billion in spending in the city, while the Hong Kong Coliseum generated a total rental income of HK$140 million for the government.

In response to lawmakers' inquiries, she expressed hope that local artists will perform at the opening activities of Kai Tak Sports Park in the first quarter of this year.

She also noted that the park has engaged over 250 local and overseas representatives for both sporting and non-sporting events, with some already having plans to rent the park's facilities.

Meanwhile, the government official mentioned that the Hong Kong Tourism Board has established a Mega Event Development and Advancement team to assist organizers in finding suitable venues.