Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said she is committed to strengthening Hong Kong’s cultural, sports and tourism offerings with the aim of creating enriching experiences for both residents and visitors.
Speaking to RTHK to mark the third year of Chief Executive John Lee's administration, Law expressed deep enthusiasm for her work, emphasising the fulfillment she finds in her position.
She said her bureau still has significant work ahead and numerous opportunities to explore.
“I really want to ensure that Hong Kong's culture, sports and tourism events not only uphold a good reputation but also achieves tangible results," Law said.
"These results can be economic benefits, notable achievements or how we showcase positive aspects to the public, including our various artists and athletes gaining recognition internationally.
“However, the most important point is that culture, sports and tourism [events] should bring joy to people.
"If citizens and tourists find happiness in participating in our cultural and sports activities, I will already be very satisfied.”
The tourism chief said many new attractions like Hong Kong Disneyland’s World of Frozen and Kai Tak Sports Park have drawn a significant number of visitors to the city, but there is still a need to manage surges in tourism.
“What we need to work on is managing crowd movements during peak times, especially at popular spots like, for example, the High Island Reservoir East Dam,” Law said.
“We definitely need better management when it comes to distributing the flow of people effectively because Hong Kong’s capacity to accommodate visitors should be completely fine.”
Law said plans are underway to deploy real-time crowd monitoring and alert systems at key sites to better manage crowds.
“In the future, we hope to establish alerts for certain scenic spots,” she said.
"If there are too many people, we could use red and green indicators to inform travellers.
“We often talk about 'off-peak travel,' encouraging people to visit when it's less crowded or to leave before peak times.
"Even for travel dates, if we can promote off-peak options, it would help manage the situation better.”
Looking ahead, Law said the Tourism Board is leveraging artificial intelligence capabilities to tailor experiences for visitors based on demographics and preferences while factoring in real-time attraction capacity and crowd conditions.