Local women will face even tougher competition for the Miss Hong Kong title when the search for contestants is extended to San Francisco this year.
The move comes after six of the past eight titles have gone to overseas contestants.
Interviews for contestants have previously been held only in Hong Kong, Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles. But Tsang Sing Ming, assistant controller of the External Affairs Division of Television Broadcasting Limited (TVB), told the South China Morning Post yesterday that interviews would be held in San Francisco for the first time this April.
The decision was reached after San Franciscan Tiffany Lam Man-lee, the reigning Miss Hong Kong, complained that she had to fly to Los Angeles at her own expense in order to enter the contest.
'Eligible contestants who don't live in those areas have to fly themselves to another city or to Hong Kong for interviews. But qualifying contestants at the specified cities are flown to Hong Kong for free by TVB,' Mr Tsang explained.
'After talking to Tiffany - who is from San Francisco - we decided to extend the search. We always get at least two finalists who are overseas recruits because they are always of a high-quality and well-educated,' he said.