TNAG-1729-FCO40-2442-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 173

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Sir,

Mr. Sohmen referred to the new subvention arrangements

entirely for the Hong Kong Tourist Association. I agree with him that the Association has done an excellent job in promoting Hong Kong as a premier tourist destination and I am confident that the Association

arrangements.

continue

wilm gratique to all those unde ved I am

the

revised

There is, of course, no question of singling out

the Hong Kong Tourist Association for more stringent financial

controls than those relating to other similar bodies.

# Indeed, the new arrangements do no more than bring this

Association into line with such bodies. Mr. Sohmen cited the

Hong Kong Trade Development Council as a comparison. The

Ordinance governing the Trade Development Council requires that its budget and programme be approved by you, Sir, every year. A similar requirement will soon be introduced for the Hong Kong Tourist Association in pursuance of the recommendations of the

Public Accounts Committee. Incidentally whatever the origin of the Hotel Accommodation fax, I hope members will agree that in it is no longer appropriate for revenue

The new subvention arrangements are sufficiently flexible to ensure that the Association can continue to enjoy an appropriate degree of autonomy.

today's circumstances,

to be hypothecated.

Airline designation

'se 40%

that

This brings me to Mr. Sohmen's references to the difficulties faced by the travelling public in getting seats to Beijing and many other regional and international air

destinations. Given the steady increase in the number of

travellers to and from Hong Kong over recent years, we are

undoubtedly faced with a problem.

But to assert that such

difficulties are caused by the Hong Kong Government's policy on

airline designation is to ignore the realities of life in the

hard-nosed world of international aviation. Our airline

15

/designation

...