XN000022-1988-10-13 — Page 4

3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1988

ADMINISTRATION

THE

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE ABOUT THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY OF CONSULTANTS.

ALSO HAD RESERVATIONS PROJECT AS

BY CONCEIVED

THE

THE LOCAL

HE SAID THE CONSULTANTS ASSUMED THAT 85 PER CENT OF POPULATION WOULD PAY AN AVERAGE OF 2.5 VISITS TO EXPO PER PERSON.

ATTENDANCE FIGURE THAT HONG IN OTHER

LOCAL "THIS FIGURE IS BASED ON THE AVERAGE FOR EXPOS HELD ELSEWHERE, BUT TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF THE FACT

LONGER WEEK THAN THOSE KONG PEOPLE WORK A SIGNIFICANTLY COUNTRIES, AND THAT THEIR LEISURE TIME IS CORRESPONDINGLY REDUCED.

COST OF

"THIS TOGETHER WITH AN AVERAGE PERSON CASTS DOUBT ON THE ATTENDANCE FIGURE FORWARD BY THE CONSULTANTS," HE SAID.

ENTRY OF HK$80 PER FOR LOCAL VISITORS PUT

THE SPOKESMAN WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE CONSULTANTS ALSO THAT NEARLY THREE MILLION VISITORS WOULD COME TO HONG KONG FROM FOR EXPO AND THAT EACH OF THEM WOULD VISIT EXPO 2.5 TIMES.

ASSUMED CHINA

"WE HAVE RESERVATIONS AS TO WHETHER THE IMMIGRATION FACILITIES 15,000 CHINESE AT THE BORDER CAN COPE WITH A DAILY AVERAGE OF AROUND

MIND THAT AT PRESENT THE VISITORS ENTERING FROM CHINA, BEARING IN

DAY FACILITIES ARE DESIGNED TO COPE WITH AN AVERAGE OF 200 VISITS PER

NUMBER REACHES ON TWO-WAY PERMITS AND ARE SEVERELY STRETCHED IF THAT 250.

VERY LARGE

NUMBERS

OF

UNCERTAIN WHETHER SUCH

"IT IS ALSO VISITORS WOULD COME TO HONG KONG FROM CHINA IN 1997.

"IF THE NUMBER OF VISITORS SHOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED PROJECT WOULD NOT BE VIABLE. A HEAVY FINANCIAL RUNNING INTO BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WOULD FALL ON THE SAR YEAR OF ITS EXISTENCE," HE SAID.

THE

BURDEN POSSIBLY IN THE FIRST

TAK THE SPOKESMAN FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT THE CAPACITY OF KAI

THERE WOULD AIRPORT WOULD BE FULLY UTILISED BY THE MID-90'S AND THAT

SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF BE NO OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN ANY

ADDITIONAL

OVERSEAS VISITORS.

"THERE IS

NO

OPERATIONAL BY 1997,

POSSIBILITY HE SAID.

OF

HAVING

A NEW

AIRPORT

FULLY

IN VIEW OF

THESE

CONSTRAINTS,

HE SAID

THE

IMPORTANT

INTERNATIONAL ELEMENT OF AN EXPO MIGHT BE LOST.

"INDEED, IF A LARGE NUMBER OF REGULAR VISITORS AND

BECAUSE AN EXPO WERE PREVENTED FROM COMING TO HONG KONG HELD, THE PUBLIC RELATIONS IMPACT COULD BE QUITE NEGATIVE."

BUSINESSMEN

WAS

BEING

THIS IN .................