Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung on Sunday dismissed concerns that the monthly pyrotechnic and drone displays over Victoria Harbour would be repetitive, saying there would be a variety of themes to suit different seasons and festivals.

The initiative was announced in Financial Secretary Paul Chan's budget speech last week as a means of boosting tourism.

Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, Yeung acknowledged concerns that tourists might not be interested in the displays if they were the same every month.

He said the authorities would come up with different themes for the displays to encourage visitors to stay longer.

"The pyrotechnic and drone shows will pair up with other events. The aim is to give visitors a reason to stay in Hong Kong for another night," he said.

"If they come here for a mega event and they find out there's another performance, then they're more likely to say... since we're here, we might as well watch the show, stay for dinner, have a drink and then go - or perhaps even stay one more night."

Yeung said the government hoped the total number of visitors this year would exceed the Tourism Board's forecast of 46 million.

He noted that nowadays tourists don't just go to hotspots like the Peak, but go out into the communities and meet people from all walks of life.

The minister said the authorities were planning a courtesy campaign to make visitors feel even more welcome.