ENG-1983 — Page 252

IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM

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deterrence was achieving its aim of making Hong Kong less attractive as a destination than had previously been the case. During the year, 3 651 refugees arrived in Hong Kong, 53.4 per cent less than the 7 840 who had arrived in 1982. This fall cannot be put down to any single factor. The closed centre policy, adverse weather conditions during the peak arrival season, a lack of boats in Vietnam, the growth of the Orderly Departure Programme, and a crackdown on illegal departures by the Vietnam Government, have all played a part. It is gratifying to see that for the first time in four years Hong Kong has shared in the regional trend for the number of new arrivals to decline year by year.

Unfortunately, the number of Vietnamese refugees being resettled from Hong Kong has continued to decline even faster. The only countries which continued to provide on-going resettlement quotas for Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong in 1983 were the United States, Canada and Australia. Besides these, small but very welcome quotas were given to Hong Kong by Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Other countries continued to accept refugees only for family reunion, or when they had been rescued at sea by a ship bearing that country's flag. As a consequence only 4 200 refugees were resettled from Hong Kong in 1983, compared with 9 247 resettled in 1982. With little reason for optimism over the prospects for 1984, the Hong Kong Government continued to press for the resettlement of all new arrivals, and of the 12 770 left from previous years, by any country with room to take them. For those 7047 who arrived before the change in policy in July 1982 and were increasingly referred to by refugee agencies as the 'hardcore' of the refugee problem, life continued in the two older open centres much as before. Refugees in these centres are not confined and adults are allowed to take up temporary employment with which to support themselves and their families, with few restrictions on their movements within or without the centres. At the end of the year, there were 4 358 refugees remaining in the Kai Tak Transit Centre run by the Hong Kong Red Cross, and 2 636 in the Jubilee Transit Centre run by Caritas - Hong Kong. At the present rate of departure it will take six years to resettle the remainder. Hong Kong was conspicuous in the region in having some 4 295 Vietnamese refugees who had already spent more than two years in open centres in the territory, and as the year closed many of these refugees were having to come to terms with the prospect of remaining in refugee centres for some time to come.

Tourism

During the year Hong Kong earned an estimated $11.026 billion (up 25.7 per cent over the 1982 figure) from the 2 775 014 visitors staying in the territory (also up by 6.4 per cent over 1982).

Hong Kong Tourist Association

The Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) is responsible for handling tourism and for proposing plans for its development. A statutory body set up by the government, the HKTA co-ordinates the activities of the industry and advises the government on measures for ensuring its growth. The chairman and members of its board of management are appointed by the Governor. The HKTA is financed by a subvention from general revenue to which visitors contribute directly by way of a five per cent tax on hotel room charges. Members of the association also contribute through membership dues and a variety of co-operative activities.

The HKTA has its headquarters in the Connaught Centre, on the waterfront of Hong Kong Island. Information offices for visitors are maintained at three other locations: Hong Kong International Airport, the Star Ferry Concourse in Kowloon, and the Government