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Hong Kong tourism
Opinion
SCMP Editorial
Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Hong Kong’s tourism goals show city’s commitment to innovation

Proposals to promote luxury tours and better utilise museums and public beaches could improve experiences for both visitors and residents

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People enjoy the view of Victoria Harbour from inside the Hong Kong Museum of Art on August 8. Photo: Jelly Tse
SCMP Editorial
Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.
Public museums in Hong Kong are probably no match for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in terms of treasures and appeal. But that does not deter the government from pursuing the tall order of opening up some of its venues to commercial or private events in the same vein as the annual Met Gala, a glamorous haute couture fundraising festival, and rightly so.

The initiative is part of a package put forward by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau in the latest policy address, along with new offers including tailor-made luxury tours for high-spending visitors arriving on private jets and yachts.

The opening up of museums managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in the evening or on non-operating days is a positive step to unleash the potential of our cultural facilities. This will not just help raise revenue for government museums, but also offer more venues for suitable commercial and private events.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum at the West Kowloon Cultural District took centre stage at the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit in 2023, offering a cocktail reception, a Chinese-style banquet and cultural performances for hundreds of top bankers and executives as part of the drive to promote Hong Kong after the Covid-19 pandemic. Officials believe the Hong Kong Museum of Art, which commands a good view over Victoria Harbour, makes a good choice for fundraising galas and fashion shows.

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