XN000022-1985-02-04 — Page 11

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1985

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WORLD'S PRESS BOOST SEEN FOR HK TOURISM

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HONG KONG WAS NOT A DESTINATION WHICH THE GLOBE TROTTER COULD CROSS OFF HIS LIST, SAYING +I'VE DONE THAT+.

+HE MAY HAVE DONE IT ONCE, BUT ONCE IS NEVER ENOUGH WHERE HONG KONG IS CONCERNED, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR PETER TSAO, SAID TODAY.

HONG KONG'S CONSTANT CHANGE AND ITS ENTRENCHED POSITION AS THE POINT OF ACCESS TO CHINA, THE SINGLE MOST FASCINATING DESTINATION ON THE GLOBAL MAP, HAD SPECIAL APPEAL TO REPEAT VISITORS.

THE TOURIST TRADE WAS ALSO LIKELY TO INCREASE AS A DIRECT PESULT OF THE RECENT PROMINENCE THAT HONG KONG HAD ACHIEVED IN THE WORLD'S PRESS, HE SAID.

IN HIS WELCOME ADDRESS TO THE 4TH INCENTIVE TRAVEL WORKSHOP ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION THIS MORNING, R TSAO SAID MANY TOURISTS WHO LAST CALLED HERE A DECADE OR MORE AGO HAD BEEN ASTONISHED BY THE CHANGES IN HONG KONG.

+THE IMMEDIATE IMPRESSION CREATED BY THE EXTENSIVE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT IS FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF MORE SUBTLE DISCOVERIES, SUCH AS THE SOPHISTICATION OF DRESS STYLE AND THE GREATER SELF-ASSURANCE AND SELF-ASSERTION WITH WHICH PEOPLE CONDUCT THEMSELVES.

+THESE CHANGES IN TURN HAVE SUBTLY ALTERED THE WAY IN WHICH THE TYPICAL HONG KONG RESIDENT RELATES TO THE VISITOR, AND HAVE CHANGED ALSO THE NATURE OF THE SERVICES THAT CATER TO THE TOURIST INDUSTRY,

+LONG GONE, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE THE DAYS OF THE 24-HOUR SUIT. THE OLD BARGAIN DISCOUNT STORES ARE GIVING WAY TO BOUTIQUES AND TO SHOPS SPECIALISING IN HIGH QUALITY MERCHANDISE BEARING THE WORLD'S MOST EXCLUSIVE LABELS, AND THEIR TARGET CLIENTELE IS NO LONGER THE TOURIST BUT THE INCREASINGLY AFFLUENT HONG KONG RESIDENT,+ MR TSAO SAID.

HE ADDED THAT HONG KONG'S DRAMATIC CHANGE HAD NOT BEEN ONLY IN TERMS OF VISIBLE MATERIAL AND SOCIAL PROGRESS, HE SAID.

+THE SHEER PACE AT WHICH WE LIVE HERE CAN LEAD THE UNWITTING TOURIST TO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE NO TIME FOR THE FINER THIS IN LIFE. WE HARDLY SEEM TO SPARE THE TIME OF DAY TO EXTEND (OACH OTHER THE COURTESY OF A PASSING GREETING. WE APPEAR TO OM. IUNICATE IN SOME FORM OF ABBREVIATED CODE, AS THOUGH WE HAD SUBSTITUTED FOR LANGUAGE A KIND OF VERBAL SHORTHAND, HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT HOWEVER THAT +HONG KONG PEOPLE DO NOT TURN ON 4 INSTANT SMILE OF WELCOME+.

/+WHEN WE

+