The Hong Kong Tourism Board and Beijing Municipal Tourism Bureau
signed a framework agreement here Thursday, agreeing to join hands
together to attract tourists from major markets to watch Olympics
events in both places.
The framework agreement was one of the achievements at the
second Plenary Session of the Hong Kong-Beijing Economic and Trade
Cooperation Conference co-chaired by Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region Chief Executive Donald Tsang and Beijing
Municipal Mayor Wang Qishan.
Hong Kong and Beijing agreed to support each other to launch a
tourism promotion package targeting the 2008 Olympics in the two
cities during the preparatory period of Olympics from 2006 to
2008.
Selina Chow, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said she
hoped the equestrian event of the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong would
help attract a good number of tourists to the metropolis, via which
they could travel to Beijing to watch other Olympics events.
"We take the huge market potential and business opportunities
brought by the Olympics seriously," Chow said.
The two cities also agreed to enhance cooperation in areas of
financial services and innovation, technology, the creative and
cultural industries, together with the further implementation of
the Hong Kong/Mainland Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement
(CEPA).
The 2008 Olympics has already created business opportunities for
both cities in various Olympic-related services, including legal,
financial, construction design and consultancy services.
Analysts believe the games will also bring business
opportunities to Hong Kong enterprises in Olympic-related
logistics, food and beverage, retailing, souvenir sales and
tourism.
Beijing has hoped to introduce about US$690 million of
investment from Hong Kong investors into five tourism projects
related to the 2008 Olympics.
Currently, 10 Hong Kong enterprises have participated in the
programs to produce products and provide retail services as Hong
Kong and Beijing promise to further promote information exchange on
Olympic-related business opportunities.
(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2006)
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