SCMP, May 25, 2001: The tourism chief has put a proposal to Beijing to campaign for a luxury Orient Express service to link the major tourist attractions of the mainland and Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Tourism Board chairwoman Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, travelling as part of the Go West delegation, put the plan to China's Railway Minister Fu Zhiyuan during a lunch in Beijing yesterday.
'China has much attractive scenery and of course we have to consider the professional standard of some tourist facilities in China,' Ms Chow said. 'In some areas, like the performance of tourist guides, they are doing quite well and they are professionally trained.'
Mr Fu was asked to put the proposal to establish the train service to Nick Varian, chief executive of Venice Simplon-Orient Express, when he visits Beijing later this month.
Ms Chow said Hong Kong's role as a regional transport centre would also be strengthened if the SAR was chosen as the first or last stop on the route.
Hong Kong's tourism potential would be boosted by taking advantage of Orient Express' brand name, she said. The Orient Express, which once ran a service from London to Istanbul, is renowned for its luxury cabins and service.