The latest issue of the Jockey Club's "Striding On" magazine features Hong Kong Hotel Owners Federation executive director Caspar Tsui Ying-wai as its cover story, where he shares his vision for the city's tourism and hospitality industry.
Tsui, a former Secretary for Home Affairs, said Hong Kong's advantages remain strong and called for further packaging of unique experiences alongside diverse mega events to tell Hong Kong's story to the world.
His top three favourite global cities – Beijing, London and Venice – were chosen not just for landmarks but for their depth of history and culture, from museums to artistic performances. He said enhancing the personal experience of visitors is a key task for Hong Kong's tourism future.
On hospitality, Tsui said hotels are the first point of contact for most visitors. With over 300 hotels and 90,000 rooms offering choices from luxury to budget, Hong Kong's service standards are already among the world's best. He hopes to strengthen training for hotel staff to improve interaction with guests, noting that some hotels now offer tours of their history and surrounding neighbourhood stories, creating unique experiences.
Tsui highlighted local intangible cultural heritage such as the Tai Hang fire dragon dance, Cheung Chau Bun Festival and Tai O dragon boat water parade as stories waiting to be turned into visitor experiences. He suggested collaborating with hotels and restaurants to promote them.
On horse racing, he described Happy Wednesday at Happy Valley as having the atmosphere of a major sports event, with performances and dining making it one of Hong Kong's most successful entertainment crossovers. As vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Football Association, he said football events offer significant value and cohesion.
On the Conghua Racecourse in Guangzhou, which begins regular racing in October, Tsui sees it as an opportunity rather than a challenge, attracting mainland visitors to experience the excitement before visiting Hong Kong's two racecourses.
