Some World Cup stars may miss next month’s Hong Kong Football Festival, but Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui expects the participating clubs’ strong fan bases to draw crowds and stimulate spending.
The festival will feature European football heavyweights Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus in a series of exhibition matches at Kai Tak Stadium in August.
Speaking on a radio program on Tuesday, Law said about two-thirds of the tickets had already been sold, reflecting the clubs’ strong appeal.
She acknowledged that a three-week rest period after the World Cup could keep some leading players off the pitch but said the clubs’ established fan bases and brand appeal should still deliver competitive and entertaining matches.
As part of the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s summer campaign to promote the “ticket-stub economy,” holders of selected match tickets will receive an additional 5 percent discount at more than 100 restaurants.
Law said major events at Kai Tak had already supported local consumption. Spending at Kai Tak Mall rose 40 percent year on year during the first five months of the year, while pop-up stores selling merchandise from the participating clubs were expected to provide a further boost.
Catering businesses in nearby districts, including Kowloon City and To Kwa Wan, had also recorded significant double-digit growth, she said.
The government is also planning a new venue as part of the second phase of AsiaWorld-Expo that will accommodate about 20,000 people. Law said it would address the shortage of mid-sized venues between the Hong Kong Coliseum and Kai Tak Stadium.
Hong Kong received about 26.71 million visitors in the first half of the year, up 13 percent from a year earlier, she added.
As the city prepares its first five-year plan, the government is studying infrastructure needs for the next five to 10 years to support the development of the arts, culture and creative sectors.
Asked about recent action involving several independent bookstores and the exclusion of a long-established bookseller from the Hong Kong Book Fair, Law declined to comment further.
Following the Hong Kong Football Festival, the Audi Football Summit will feature Bayern Munich and Aston Villa at Kai Tak on August 6 and 7.
