ENG-1964 — Page 194

IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM

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Hong Kong can offer varied entertainment to the visitor from overseas. There is racing in the season (October-May), golf and tennis, safe beaches for swimming and facilities for skin diving and water-skiing. Sight-seeing, on foot in the city, by sampan among the boat-people in the typhoon shelters or further afield is a favourite attraction for the visitor. Improved transport facil- ities such as air-conditioned cars and coaches have led to an in- crease in business for this section of the industry. A drive round the New Territories or a launch trip to one of the outlying islands provides a surprising contrast to the life of the city.

Almost every style of Chinese food, and they are numerous, is available in Hong Kong. Most hotels offer the simpler forms of Chinese cooking as an introduction but for the really adventurous gourmet the city's hundreds of restaurants are a treat which cannot be equalled anywhere in the world.

Shopping however fills most of the visitor's time in Hong Kong. Although there has been a tendency for prices of popular com- modities to rise bargains are still plentiful.

The Hong Kong Tourist Association came into active existence in the early part of 1958. It is mainly financed by a government subvention, supplemented by small fees charged to its members. The objects of the Association are to increase the number of visitors, to promote the development of the Colony as a holiday resort and the improvement of facilities for visitors, to secure overseas publicity, to co-ordinate the activities of those engaged in the tourist trade, and to make appropriate, recommendations to the Governor.

The promotional programme includes a regulated supply of brochures, guide books, posters, display material and up-to-date information directed to leading travel agents, carriers and promoters of travel in all the main areas of the world where international travel is generated. At the end of 1954 the Association was dis- tributing promotional material in 93 countries. This effort is sup- ported by an advertising programme in newspapers, periodicals and trade publications. Up to the present time, the main focus of advertising has been in the North American continent, Australia and, to a lesser degree, the United Kingdom and Europe.

So that quick and efficient factual information can be given to travellers and potential travellers, the Hong Kong Tourist