A pilot program will be launched by the end of the year to offer a new ferry route between the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) and Central, according to a document submitted to the Legislative Council by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau.
The WKCD Authority mulls opening the WestK Quay and setting up specialty food kiosks on the adjacent Waterfront Promenade to enhance the WKCD's accessibility and foster the complementary development of arts and culture, entertainment and tourism to enrich the visitor experience.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said in June that the authorities were exploring facilitating the waterborne transportation of WKCD, and the southern landing facility of WKCD is expected to come into operation in the fourth quarter of this year.
As for the development of arts, the document indicated that WKCD Authority will establish the WestK Academy to provide arts and cultural organizations and practitioners from Hong Kong, overseas, and Mainland China with professional training and short-term courses, including arts administration, cultural and arts management, and archive and collection management.
Beyond the new facilities, the government will collaborate with the market to study issues such as taxation, financing, and talent management in the art trade, considering the global economic environment and the implementation adopted in Hong Kong. The study is scheduled to be completed by 2026.
The operating deficit in 2024/25 of the WKCD rose from HK$578 million to HK$769 million, with an 18 per cent drop in revenue to HK$871 million, according to the WKCD authority.
