XN000022-1994-10-11 — Page 4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1994

QUESTION:

AN

BUT IF THE PRESENT WRANGLING CONTINUES OVER THE NEW AIRPORT AND IT IS NOT BUILT ON SCHEDULE, ISN'T THIS OPENING OF OFFICE LIKE THIS TO PROMOTE TOURISM, SORT OF AN EMPTY GESTURE, BECAUSE THE PRESENT AIRPORT CAN'T CONTAIN THE NUMBER TOURISTS THAT ARE

ARRIVING?

FS:

NO. I MEAN AT THE MOMENT, OF COURSE, ALTHOUGH WE HAVEN'T SIGNED THE FINANCING AGREEMENTS WITH CHINA, FORTUNATELY WE ARE STILL ABLE TO GET ON WITH THE AIRPORT. I HOPE THAT BEFORE TOO LONG WE WILL SIGN THOSE AGREEMENTS AND THEN THERE WILL BE NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE AIRPORT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

TOURIST ASSOCIATION OPENS NEW HEADQUARTERS

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, SIR HAMISH MACLEOD, TODAY (TUESDAY) OPENED THE NEW HEADQUARTERS OF THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION AT CITICORP CENTRE, NORTH POINT.

THE

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, SIR HAMISH SAID THE OPENING WOULD BE THE START OF A NEW CHAPTER OF GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR TOURIST ASSOCIATION.

OF

SIR HAMISH NOTED THAT OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, THE NUMBER OVERSEAS VISITORS TO HONG KONG HAD INCREASED FROM 1.3 MILLION TO 8.9 MILLION AND HONG KONG HAD CONSISTENTLY MAINTAINED ITS SUPREMACY AS ASIA'S MOST POPULAR TOURISM DESTINATION.

HE SAID THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTION WHICH TOURISM NOW MADE TO THE HONG KONG ECONOMY HAD NOT HAPPENED BY ACCIDENT. "IT IS THE PRODUCT OF SUSTAINED EFFORT AND PROMOTIONAL EXPERTISE, HE SAID.

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LAST YEAR, HE SAID, TOURISM WAS ONCE AGAIN THE SECOND LARGEST EARNER OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE FOR HONG KONG.

"1993 WAS ALSO A RECORD YEAR FOR VISITOR ARRIVALS, DESPITE CONTINUING RECESSION IN SOME KEY MARKETS AND EVER-INCREASING COMPETITION FROM OTHER DESTINATIONS IN THE REGION, HE SAID.

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