XN000022-1992-03-30 — Page 2

MONDAY, MARCH 30, 1992

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HONG KONG MUST BUILD FOR THE FUTURE: GOVERNOR

HONG KONG WANTED

TO REMAIN ONE OF ASIA'S WE

AND THEREFORE MUST BUILD NOW FOR DESTINATIONS GOVERNOR, LORD WILSON, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

THE

TOP TOURIST FUTURE,

THE

ASSOCIATION

WAS

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE PACIFIC ASIA TRAVEL ANNUAL CONFERENCE, THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT WAS WHY HONG KONG PUTTING SO MUCH EFFORT INTO BUILDING A NEW AIRPORT WHICH WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE 35 MILLION PASSENGERS A YEAR WHEN IT OPENED IN 1997.

HONG

THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT THAT FROM A BUSINESS POINT

WAS OF THE FACT THAT IT KONG SHOULD FEEL GLAD AND PROUD RELATIVELY WELL AT A TIME WHEN EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA STRUGGLING THROUGH THEIR RECESSIONS.

OF VIEW,

DOING

WERE

STILL

"THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION HAS GONE THROUGH A REMARKABLE OF GROWTH DURING THE PAST DECADE, WITH RATES OF GROWTH DOUBLE OR THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF THOSE IN WESTERN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.

"HONG KONG IS

HAS GROWN NO EXCEPTION. OUR ECONOMY AVERAGE, IN REAL TERMS, OF EIGHT PER CENT EACH YEAR SINCE THE HONG KONG'S PER CAPITA GDP IS NOW ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN GOVERNOR SAID.

PERIOD EVEN

BY

AN 1970S. ASIA," THE

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN THE REGION HAD LED

TO GREATER DEMAND FOR BUSINESS AND LEISURE TRAVEL.

中 ** 4S

A RESULT WE NOW SEE HUGE INVESTMENT IN

AIRLINES,

HOTELS,

RESORTS AND TOURIST ATTRACTIONS," HE ADDED.

A OUTLINING THE REASONS WHY HONG KONG WAS WELL PLACED TO PLAY

SAID OVER THE LAST THE GOVERNOR MAJOR PART IN THE TRAVEL BOOM,

INCREASED 10 YEARS, THE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS VISITORS TO HONG KONG HAD FROM TWO-AND-A-HALF MILLION A YEAR TO SIX MILLION - WITH MORE AND MORE COMING FROM WITHIN THE REGION.

THESE

ECONOMY.

CONTRIBUTED SOME $40 BILLION VISITORS

TO HONG

KONG'S

REGION

"THE IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM TO ALL THE ECONOMIES IN THIS MEANS THAT WE SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO THIS PART OF THE WORLD," THE GOVERNOR SAID.

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