ENG-2020 — Page 340

Chapter 19

Travel and Tourism

The COVID-19 pandemic brought tourism in Hong Kong to a halt in 2020, with overall visitor arrivals plunging by almost 94 per cent, the largest annual drop on record.

Travel restrictions and compulsory quarantine measures implemented by governments worldwide in response to COVID-19 took a heavy toll on tourism in Hong Kong in 2020, with overall visitor arrivals dropping to only 3.57 million.

Despite the pandemic, the government continued to implement various initiatives under the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry, promulgated in 2017. The blueprint sets out the government's strategy to develop Hong Kong into a world-class premier tourism destination.

Support Measures for Tourism Industry

The government introduced a number of measures to support the tourism industry, with a total commitment of over $2.3 billion from the Anti-epidemic Fund in direct financial support. Coupled with other financial incentive measures including the Travel Agents Incentive Scheme and the Green Lifestyle Local Tour Incentive Scheme, the government made a cumulative commitment of about $2.6 billion of direct financial support to the tourism industry.

Other support measures include the government's waivers of travel agent and hotel licence fees and monthly fixed rent and management fees for the operator of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal; the Hong Kong Tourism Board's (HKTB) waivers of participation fees in travel trade shows and travel missions organised in the Mainland and overseas, and waivers of merchants' membership renewal fees under the Quality Tourism Services (QTS) Scheme; and Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong's (TIC) reduction of travel agents' annual membership fees by half, waivers of Mainland inbound tour group registration fees, and subsidies for tourist guides to complete the Continuing Professional Development Scheme in order to renew their tourist guide passes.

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