The 2008 Olympic equestrian events held in the city are unlikely to boost tourism, given their 'aristocratic' nature and small scale, according to the Tourism Board.
'Apart from a few western countries such as the United States, Australia, France, Ireland ... [the events] may be too aristocratic,' chairman James Tien Pei-chun told Metro Finance radio yesterday. 'Even those of us who love horse racing cannot tell which one is doing well in the events.'
The board chairman said overseas promotions would promote Hong Kong's various attractions without focusing specifically on the equestrian events.
'Unlike a soccer match [attended by] tens of thousands of spectators, the events can support only around 10,000 people. It would not make sense to ask the tourists to come and watch in front of the televisions,' Mr Tien said.
But he said the Olympic events in Hong Kong could serve as a supplementary tourist attraction.
A board spokeswoman later said that they would add the equestrian and Olympic elements to major activities in Hong Kong. Promotions would also be worked out later this year for countries where equestrian events were popular.
