Wine and Dine Festival to move to Kai Tak due to Occupy Central protests

The Tourism Board will waive the entrance fee to its annual wine festival as it relocates from Central to Kai Tak because of the Occupy movement.

The Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, which took place near the Central piers last year, will move to the open area opposite the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal from October 30 to November 2.

Overseas exhibitors including French chateaus confirmed they would continue to take part in the consumer wine fair. It remains unclear if any local wine merchants will withdraw.

"We will cut their rent by 40 per cent," the board's executive director, Anthony Lau Chun-hon, said.

Although public transportation to Kai Tak is limited, the tourism body will arrange free shuttle buses. The HK$30 entrance fee from last year will be waived but visitors will be required to buy coupons for wine tasting.

"The scenery there is nice … it's also a new place to promote Hong Kong," said board chairman Peter Lam Kin-ngok.

The board has received dozens of tourist complaints over Occupy Central.