Historical sites and old buildings could be recommended for preservation by the Hong Kong Tourist Association in its latest attempt to attract visitors.
'Heritage tourism' would be the next area to be marketed, the association's executive director, Amy Chan Cheng Yi-yim, said yesterday at the launch of a Hong Kong countryside guide book.
A working group has studied ways of improving the territory's heritage sites and raising awareness about them. A wide-ranging heritage tourism scheme is to be launched on Monday.
Ms Chan said the association could play a role in restoring old buildings.
'We can identify areas and buildings and recommend to the Antiquities and Monuments Office their consideration for preservation,' she said. 'We can make more use of our attractions and target them for use for tourism purposes.' Hong Kong had to offer some environmental attractions to keep up with global tourism trends, Ms Chan said.
'We know most visitors still enjoy shopping and dining, but 15 per cent of visitors expressed an interest in knowing about our green areas,' she said.