Entertainment king Peter Lam named Tourism Board chief
Peter Lam takes over from James Tien at a time when not all visitors are welcomed by residents
Entertainment magnate Peter Lam Kin-ngok has been appointed Tourism Board chairman as James Tien Pei-chun steps down from the position after six years.
Lam's three-year term begins in April, ending the Liberal Party's domination of the top tourism job since 2001 - Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee and Tien each held the role for six years.
Lam, who is on friendly terms with Tien, said he was honoured to be chosen.
"I've worked on the board with Mr Tien for six years and learned a lot from him," Lam said yesterday.
I've worked on the board with Mr Tien for six years and learned a lot from him
He pledged to step up the board's communication across business sectors and seek more resources for tourism development. But a challenge he faces is how to bolster tourism at a time when some residents already feel crowded out by the growing influx of mainland sightseers. Hong Kong had 48.6 million visitors last year - 34.9 million of whom came from the mainland.