XN000022-1987-11-05 — Page 29

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1987

HOWEVER, SHE POINTED OUT THAT FOR A CITY THAT SPENT BILLIONS ON ITS BUILDING PROGRAMME, SETTING ASIDE LAND FOR PARKS AND SOCCER FIELDS, IT WAS SAD TO SEE HOW LITTLE WAS DONE TO PRESERVE SYMBOLS OF ITS HERITAGE.

"IN SPITE OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ANTIQUITIES AND MONUMENTS BOARD MORF THAN 15 YEARS AGO, WE HAVE WITNESSED THE DEMOLITION OF MUCH VALUABLE HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURE SUCH AS THE TSIM SHA TSUI RAILWAY STATION, THE HONG KONG CLUB AND THE MURRAY BUILDING TO MAKE WAY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MODERN CITY.

"DOES THE BOARD HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO DO ITS JOB PROPERLY? AND DOES IT HAVE THE NECESSARY FUNDS TO CARRY OUT REPAIRS? DOES GOVERNMENT RECOGNISE THE NECESSITY OF PRESERVATION AS A BACKBONE TO OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY, AND IF SO IS IT PREPARED TO GIVE THE BOARD POWER AND THE FUNDS TO DO ITS JOB PROPERLY?

TO OR

"WHY CAN WE NOT HAVE LAWS WHICH MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR OWNERS OF OLD HISTORICAL BUILDINGS DEEMED TO BE WORTH SAVING BY THE BOARD RESTORE THEM, OR TO MAINTAIN THE BUILDINGS' ORIGINAL EXTERIOR FACADE WHILE REDEVELOPMENT IS ALLOWED AT THE BACK, AS IT IS DONE IN ENGLAND, FRANCE AND SINGAPORE?"

MRS CHOW SAID THE SUCCESS OF OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY HAD BEEN THE ENVY OF MANY NEIGHBOURING TERRITORIES AND WE MUST PROTECT SURE REVENUK KARNERS AND RETAIN WHATEVER COMPETITIVE EDGE WE HAD.

SHE SAID ALTHOUGH THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION HAD BERN DOING A GREAT JOB IN PROMOTING HONG KONG AND DESERVED RECOGNITION OF ITS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS, CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS REMAINED OUTSIDE ITS AMBIT.

THESE INCLUDED THE CONDITION OF THE AIRPORT AND ITS ANCILLIARY PASSENGER FACILITIES AND THE GOVERNMENT POLICY OF TIGHT RESTRICTION ON APPLICATION OF VISAS BY EASTERN EUROPEAN VISITORS.

SHE SAID, IN THE PAST, HONG KONG HAD BEEN LOSING OUT MARKET FOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES BECAUSE OF THIS POLICY,

IN THE

"OF THE NUMEROUS MEETINGS HELD RY INTERNATIONAL BODIES, IT

MAKES GOOD BUSINESS SENSE TO INDUCE THOSE WITH HONG KONG MEMBERSHIP TO CONDUCT THEM IN HONG KONG. THIS IS PARTICULARLY DESIRABLE IN THE RUN-UP TO 1997 WHEN HONG RONG IS KEEN TO KEEP UP INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

+

"

SHE SAID ACCORDING TO THE UNION OF INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION DIRECTORY, 669 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS HAD HONG KONG MEMBERS. OF THESE 409 HAD EASTERN EUROPEAN MEMBERSHIP.

"HONG RONG 15 EXCLUDED FROM TWO-THIRD OF THE POTENTIAL BUSINESS BECAUSE OF THIS POLICY ON ENTRY VISAS.

IN ADDITION WE ARE LOSING OUT ON CONFERENCE DELEGATES WILO SPEND AN AVERAGE OF OVER $4,000 EACH.

་་

KONG

CONVENTION

WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE HONG EXHIBITION CENTRE AS WELL AS AN ADDITIONAL 3,682 HOTEL ROOMS IN GOVERNMENT MUST REVIEW THIS OUTDATED POLIY SHE SAID.

ti

AND 1988,

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