The demand for events managers grows fast as the population gets physical
Sports account for 2.1 per cent (about $27 billion) of Hong Kong's gross domestic product, notes research commissioned by the Hong Kong Sports Development Board.
The calculations factor sports into the economic equation. Sports in general are viewed as contributing to the economy by raising the health level of the population.
In the long-term, sports help to cut health-care costs and increase labour productivity (by reducing absenteeism). The research concludes that sports participation will continue to grow, and so will its impact on the entire economy.
The level of sports engagement is expected to keep rising as young people become more health conscious and increasingly involved in sports activity.
In the meantime, sports have come into the spotlight with the government policy of making Hong Kong an events city for Asia. The result is a rising demand for people trained in sports and events management.