Lawmakers urge launch of discount HK Pass for tourists

A "HK Pass" should be launched for tourists to visit various attractions at discounted prices, said lawmakers of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

Lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, the party's spokesman on cultural affairs, said the HK Pass can allow tourists to enjoy a discounted price when visiting the city's museums and attraction spots and joining one-day tours.

A new tourism trend of "city walk" - in which visitors roam around the city on foot - has been popular among mainlanders, so the proposed "HK Pass" will facilitate such a trend, Cheng said.

Cheng also said the arrival of Lionel Messi and David Beckham to the city for the exhibition match of Inter Miami next month will attract a lot of football fans to Hong Kong.

With the new Kai Tak Sports Park to open later this year, the government should consider how to attract sports fans with the new sports venue, he said, adding that the SAR government should develop sports tourism.

His party mate, lawmaker Edward Lau Kwok-fan, also urged authorities to have more round-the-clock border points and extend the MTR operating hours to ease the cross-border crowds.

Meanwhile, local tourism has been recovering gradually with nearly 80 percent of visitors being from the mainland, tourism industry lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung said, adding the SAR should develop in-depth tourism to attract overnight tourists.

The number of business visitors is also on the rise, which shows the development of the local convention and exhibition sector, he said.

The government is preparing to receive mainland tourists during the eight-day Lunar New Year golden week from February 10 to 17, as various bureau and tourism representatives attended a meeting hosted yesterday by Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung.

"Government departments and relevant organizations are working closely together, making early preparations for deployment of resources as well as stepping up coordination and communication with relevant mainland counterparts so as to create good travel experiences for the visitors arriving in Hong Kong during the golden week," Yeung said.

The government said it will also liaise with mainland counterparts to ensure smooth border clearance services after large-scale activities.

And the Hong Kong Tourism Board has announced that 34 million visitors came to the SAR last year - and 26 million of them, or 79 percent, were visitors from the mainland.

Overnight visitors accounted for half the travelers, with an average length of stay of 3.6 nights, the board said.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com