SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (in Cantonese): President, I am very grateful to Mr YIU Si-wing for moving the motion today and to Members for proposing amendments and speaking in the debate. I very much agree with the valuable views given by Members and in fact, many of such views have been reflected in our tourism policies and measures. I will now talk about the Government's view on the main areas mentioned by Members.

The Government has all along made overall planning on the hardware and software of tourism in the short-, medium- and long-term. Our policy objective is that the tourism industry should not merely seek to increase the number of visitors, but should pursue stable, healthy and long-term development. In terms of strategies, the planning of our tourism industry focuses on highlighting Hong Kong's special features, increasing the number of diversified tourism products, developing new markets and attracting more high-spending overnight visitors to Hong Kong. As stated in the Policy Address and the Budget announced earlier,we will continue to follow the above mentioned policy direction and objectives in implementing a series of supportive measures introduced by the Government and the Hong Kong Tourism Board ("HKTB") to boost tourism.

Green tours

A number of Members mentioned green tours in this debate. We agree that Hong Kong has a rich pool of green resources, e.g. different kinds of hiking trails. The Tourism Commission ("TC") has all along collaborated with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, HKTB, the tourism industry and other event organizers in using HKTB's "Great Outdoors Hong Kong" marketing platform to actively promote nature-based green tourism products and outdoor attractions to visitors. These include the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark ("the Geopark"), hiking trails, outlying islands, cycling trails as well as guided tours and green tourism products offered by the tourism industry and other organizations.

In 2017-2018, we will allocate a funding of $5 million to HKTB to launch the "Pilot scheme to promote in-depth green tourism". We will provide subsidies to the tourism industry to encourage its development of markets interested in green tourism and more diversified in-depth green tourism products. In developing in-depth green tourism products, the industry will plan its programmes to comply with the environmental protection requirements of the relevant departments, e.g. permits must be obtained for vehicles accessing designated areas of the Geopark.

The Government also agrees that there is room for developing green tourism in Lantau and will conduct studies of planning under the principle of balancing the needs of development and conservation. At present, the future development of Lantau mainly follows the direction of "development for the north, conservation for the south". The Development Bureau is preparing the Sustainable Lantau Blueprint and expects to release it in the first half of this year.

Cultural tours

Many Members also mentioned cultural tours. The Government has all along collaborated with HKTB to actively develop and promote cultural tours of Hong Kong. We promote these tours to visitors, the international media and the tourism industry and seek to offer more diversified tourism choices in Hong Kong.

In promoting the traditional festivals and local culture, HKTB holds mega events each year, such as the Chinese New Year Night Parade and the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival, etc. to introduce Hong Kong's traditional festivals and culture to visitors. HKTB also actively promotes four traditional festivals which have been inscribed onto the third national list of intangible cultural heritage, including the Yu Lan Ghost Festival, the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, the Tai O dragon boat water parade and the Tai Hang fire dragon dance.

In addition, HKTB has been using different means to promote markets and shopping streets with local characteristics to visitors, including the Flower Market, the night market in Temple Street, Apliu Street, Sai Yeung Choi Street (i.e. "Women's Street"), Upper Lascar Row (i.e. "Antiques Street"), Li Yuen Street East and Li Yuen Street West, etc. to encourage visitors to experience the local culture of Hong Kong and the fun of shopping in different ways.

To show visitors that Hong Kong is a world-class arts hub, HKTB again holds the Hong Kong Arts Month in March this year to introduce different arts zones to visitors, such as the art studios, art galleries, heritage buildings and cultural and arts activities in Hollywood Road in Central and Sheung Wan; and promote various arts events such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Art Basel, Art Central, etc. HKTB will also continue to promote various art and cultural activities such as Le French May Arts Festival, Affordable Art Fair, Chinese Opera Festival, etc.

Heritage Tours

The Government and HKTB have been actively developing and promoting heritage tours. We are now updating and enriching the Dr Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail, including re-designing the memorial plaques and updating the information. The work is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The Dr Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail, together with PMQ and the "Big Station" (i.e. the Former Central Police Station Compound) to be commissioned later, will transform the Central and Western District into an "art-across-time" community.

The Government is also conducting conservation and conversion works on some historic buildings in various districts through the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme. For example, revitalizing the old Tai O Police Station into a boutique hotel called the Tai O Heritage Hotel and converting the former Lai Chi Kok Hospital into the Jao Tsung-I Academy. The Government is also planning to revitalize the historic building of Hung Shing Yi Hok in situ into the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Heritage Centre, scheduled to commence operation in 2019.

Measures under the Policy Address and the Budget

To give full play to the edges of local tourism resources, we have announced in the Policy Address and the Budget delivered earlier that the Government has allocated an additional funding of $243 million to boost tourism by introducing a series of supportive measures. Such measures include re-arranging A Symphony of Lights to develop Hong Kong's own brand of light attraction; further promoting the diversification of tourism products, such as green tours, cultural and heritage tours, etc.; implementing a series of promotional plans with the tourism industry to attract high-spending visitors, including Meetings, Incentive Travels, Conventions and Exhibitions visitors, transit passengers and cruise passengers; supporting mega international events, home-grown events and tourism activities showcasing Hong Kong's local characteristics to diversify the events offered and enhancing Hong Kong's attractiveness as a premier tourist destination.

Planning of tourist attractions

Regarding tourism hardware, the Government has spared no effort in developing and enhancing the tourism facilities of Hong Kong as well as increasing its competitiveness by various means. Our work in this area includes continuously updating the existing tourist attractions, e.g. introducing a variety of new programmes in the Hong Kong Disneyland and the Ocean Park. We expect that these programmes will be commissioned one after another in the coming years.

As Members will agree, Victoria Harbour is a world-famous tourist attraction as well as one of Hong Kong's unique natural resources. In recent years, the new Central harbourfront has become a favourite spot for visitors. It is also a good venue for holding mega events such as the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival and the FIA Formula E Hong Kong ePrix. The Government understands that society has expectations of developing the harbourfront. Thus, the Development Bureau will collaborate with the Harbourfront Commission to actively implement programmes of enhancing the harbourfront to give full play to the characteristics and potentials of different lots of the area. The Government has earmarked $500 million for the first stage for taking forward harbourfront development.

From 2017 to 2019, other new tourist attractions will be commissioned one after another in Hong Kong, including various attractions at the West Kowloon Cultural District. In the long term, we are taking forward the plans of the Tourism Node at Kai Tak with a view to developing the place as a world-class tourist and recreational attraction. The Government will also continue to conduct planning studies on the development of Lantau, including studies on using North Lantau for the purposes of recreation and tourism. These new tourist attractions will enrich visitors' experience in Hong Kong and maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness.

In relation to Members' proposals on convention and exhibition venues, the Government has been exploring different options to increase the floor area of convention and exhibition venues to maintain the competitiveness of the convention and exhibition industry. Among them, the Government will build a convention centre above the Exhibition Station of the Shatin-to-Central Link after the latter's completion. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council has been invited by the Government to design the convention centre under this plan. Furthermore, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority is considering developing a medium-sized, multi-purpose venue for exhibition, convention and performance purposes in the western part of the West Kowloon Cultural District.

The service quality and the rights of practitioners of the tourism industry

Some Members are concerned about the service quality and the rights of practitioners of the tourism industry. The Government has attached great importance to this issue. We subsidize training of practitioners of the tourism industry, including staff members of travel agents, tour guides and tour escorts, through the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong to raise the overall service quality of the industry and enhance Hong Kong's image as a place providing quality tourism.

Setting up a Tourism Bureau

Mrs Regina IP and Mr LUK Chung-hung mentioned setting up a Tourism Bureau dedicated to promoting tourism in their amendments. I would like to point out that the policies, promotion and regulatory framework of tourism in  Hong Kong have, for many years, followed the market trend and developed in response to the views of the industry and the community. At present, TC of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau is tasked with formulating strategies for tourism development, allocating resources to implement various tourism initiatives, as well as coordinating and collaborating with different parties in pushing ahead various work on tourism development. All along, TC, HKTB and the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong have been performing separate roles with clear division of work in respect of formulating policies, promoting tourism and regulating the industry. In fact, TC has all along played the role of coordinating and collaborating various work on tourism development, so as to promote the stable, healthy and long-term development of tourism in Hong Kong. In considering measures and proposals on tourism, the Policy Bureaux, government departments and HKTB will discuss with the stakeholders such as the District Councils, members of the local community, consultative groups, professional bodies and representatives of the tourism industry to receive a wide range of views from different sectors.

All in all, we will continue to join hands with the tourism industry in promoting the long-term and healthy development of the tourism industry of Hong Kong. We will continue to gauge a wide range of views by humbly listening to the views of the District Councils, the stakeholders of the local communities and the public so as to reinforce Hong Kong's position as a premier tourist destination.

Thank you, President.