Dragon boats a top draw, but visitor numbers down, says Hong Kong official
Hong Kong should host more "mega events" like the three-day Dragon Boat Carnival to buoy tourist numbers to the city amid stiff regional competition, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung said yesterday.
Hong Kong should host more "mega events" like the three-day Dragon Boat Carnival to bring tourists to the city amid stiff regional competition, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung said yesterday.
Although the event attracted 40,000 tourists, So revealed the fall in the number of mainlanders under the individual visit scheme had widened since April, when mainland authorities limited Shenzhen residents to one cross-border trip a week.
Speaking on the sidelines of the carnival, So said the latest figures show that mainland individual travellers fell 10 per cent in the first 28 days last month, after dipping by 5 per cent in May.
INFOGRAPHIC: How dragon boating evolved from an ancient Chinese tradition into a global sport
"The one-visit-per-week measure has only been implemented for three months and most of the individual travellers are still using the old multiple-entry permits," So said. "The overall effectiveness of the measure remains to be seen."
So also said that competition from neighbouring countries, relaxed visa requirements and changes in currencies were also affecting tourists' travel patterns. Overall arrivals in June declined by almost 2 per cent.
An unconventional tug-of-war competition on the water was among a number of carnival highlights on the Tsim Sha Tsui side of the harbour.
On a sweltering day that prompted the Observatory to issue a "very hot" weather warning, six teams tested their mettle.
Rival teams of eight paddlers had to sit in opposite ends of one boat and paddle furiously in opposite directions, trying to move the boat to their side of the water.
"It was very exciting," said Marvin Cheuk Ka-hang, paddler from the Auxiliary Medical Service team. "I am very tired now. If we did not paddle at the same rate, the other team would catch up quickly."
In another fun-filled tilt, 13 teams battled it out for the "best fancy dress" award. Some came clad in Japanese geisha outfits or Egyptian costumes. The crown was captured by the Paddlers in the Pink, who were raising awareness of breast cancer.
It was a light-hearted close to fierce competition over three days, with the Dongguang Machong Everbright team from China taking home the international open dragon boat title.
