Tourism Strategy Committee holds second meeting
The Tourism Strategy Committee, chaired by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, held its second meeting today (September 16). At the meeting, Mr Yeung discussed with members the changes in travel patterns and visitor habits. He encouraged the tourism and related trade to understand the changes, respond to the changes and embrace them, introduce tourism, catering and retail products with Hong Kong characteristics to attract visitors as well as join hands with the Government to promote Hong Kong's tourism development and boost the economy. Views on the proposed directions of the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 (Blueprint 2.0) and how to further promote the theme of "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong" were exchanged at the meeting as well. Besides, representatives from the Hong Kong Tourism Board briefed members about Hong Kong's latest tourism performance and the relevant statistics.
Mr Yeung said, "The provisional visitor arrival figure for August this year was close to 4.5 million, representing a year-on-year increase of over 9 per cent and reaching a record high for a single month since the full opening of the borders in February 2023. We are encouraged to note that in the first eight months of this year, more than 29.5 million visitor arrivals were recorded, representing a year-on-year increase of 45 per cent. Of them, about 23 million were Mainland visitors and over 6.5 million were non-Mainland visitors, representing year-on-year increase of about 39 per cent and 63 per cent respectively."
He added, "With the strong recovery in visitor arrivals, the Government will continue to work with different sectors of the community to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong's tourism industry and strive to pursue 'tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong'. At the meeting, members expressed their endorsement and support for the Government's continued policy direction of making good use of Hong Kong's rich tourism resources to actively motivate the trade to develop characteristic tourism products to promote Hong Kong's unique appeal to the world and attract more visitors to Hong Kong. The Government also encourages the trade to seize the business opportunities arising from the Central Government's gifting of two giant pandas to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the two giant panda cubs born in Hong Kong, exercise creativity and introduce giant panda products with local characteristics to offer special giant panda experience to visitors."
He further said, "The Government has completed 27 consultation sessions with the trade on Blueprint 2.0, met with more than 110 trade organisations and received over 1 000 recommendations. The Government is now pressing ahead with the formulation of various strategies and initiatives for the Blueprint 2.0 with a view to promoting speedy and quality development of the tourism industry. Our plan is to finalise and publish the contents of the Blueprint 2.0 within this year."
At the meeting, members put forward different suggestions for promoting the theme of "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong", such as stepping up effort in developing island tourism, green tourism and continuing to make good use of technology to enhance visitor experience. Furthermore, Mr Yeung briefed members about the latest updates regarding the Central Government's gifting of another two giant pandas to the HKSAR, the birth of two giant panda cubs by giant panda Ying Ying on August 15 this year as well as a series of territory-wide publicity and promotional activities being actively arranged by the Government together with Ocean Park and various sectors of the community. Members offered advice on how to further drive the giant panda popularity across the whole city and grasp the business opportunities thus brought about. Additionally, the Tourism Commission briefed the committee about two creative tourism projects, namely the Sai Kung Hoi Arts Festival and the Design District Hong Kong, which will be launched again in November and December this year respectively.
The Tourism Strategy Committee is tasked to provide the Government with strategic advice and foster collaboration among different stakeholders in tourism and related sectors for further promoting the long-term and sustainable development of Hong Kong's tourism industry. Members include prominent figures and key leaders from the tourism and other related sectors such as culture, sports, retail and catering, etc.
Tourism Strategy Committee holds second meeting Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Tourism Strategy Committee holds second meeting Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong FinTech Week 2024 "Illuminating New Pathways in Fintech" details released
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (October 8) unveiled details of Hong Kong FinTech Week 2024 (HKFW). The ninth edition of HKFW, themed "Illuminating New Pathways in Fintech" will take place from October 28 to November 1. This flagship event stands at the forefront of the global fintech evolvement. Aligned with Hong Kong's vision, the aim is to steer the future of financial services and beyond.
The largest and most influential gathering of international leaders in finance and technology
As the city's premier fintech gathering, HKFW is organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and InvestHK, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), and the Insurance Authority (IA). The event is expected to draw over 30 000 attendees from more than 100 economies.
With hundreds of distinguished speakers and numerous sponsors and exhibitors, the main conference taking place between October 28 and 29 at Hong Kong AsiaWorld-Expo promises to be a convergence of global expertise and cutting-edge fintech innovations.
HKFW draws votes of confidence from both the Mainland and international companies and markets. The event this year will feature an unprecedented number of Mainland Chinese big tech companies showcasing their latest innovations, as well as notable speakers and delegates from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Middle East, which solidifies Hong Kong's multifaceted business connections and landscape.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "With its strategic location and robust financial infrastructure, Hong Kong emerges as a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder' for fintech. Hong Kong is primed to lead the transformative journey to uncover the pathways to opportunities. Our city is ranked third in the latest Global Financial Centres Index and first in the Asia Pacific Region. In terms of fintech, Hong Kong rose five places to ninth, putting it among the top 10 fintech hubs globally. This reflects the concerted efforts of the Government, financial regulators, and industry players to promote fintech development in Hong Kong."
Mr Hui added that through various initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining strategic companies and talent, Hong Kong is ready for positive results from the FinTech Week, and the event this year will pave the way for connected, efficient, and sustainable global economic growth from fintech offerings.
Exploring tomorrow's solution today
With Hong Kong now ranking among the top three global financial centres and top 10 fintech centres globally, HKFW 2024 is poised to be a vibrant hub of ideas, innovations, and global collaborations, reinforcing Hong Kong's institutional advantages and abilities for breakthroughs in innovative financial services and leading market innovation.
This year, HKFW places a significant emphasis on cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). Recent surveys reveal that 38 per cent of finance executives in Hong Kong have initiated the incorporation of generative AI, marking the highest rate among all surveyed markets and notably surpassing the global average of 26 per cent.
The main conference will feature eight themed forums on the latest technologies and cross-industry connections. These forums include the Global Forum, AI & Advanced Tech Forum, Blockchain & Digital Assets Forum, Payments & Other FinTech Forum, InsurTech Forum, Green FinTech & Impact Forum, WealthTech & InvestTech Forum, and Hong Kong Connect Forum, offering participants a comprehensive view of the ever-evolving fintech landscape. The stages and zones will also be designed in the Chinese wisdom of "wuxing" and "yinyang".
A series of engaging community events will take place throughout the week, running from October 28 to November 1 in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. These events will include a tour of the Greater Bay Area, satellite and networking events, lifestyle activities and workshops and the inaugural Web3x3 basketball game.
The Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau, said, "As a leading international financial centre, fintech has always been an important pillar of the Hong Kong economy. Last year, Hong Kong climbed to the top 10 in the United Nations’ Global Frontier Technologies Readiness Index. This readiness to embrace technologies like blockchain and AI is essential to ensuring the long-term competitiveness of our financial services industry. We will continue to promote Hong Kong's strengths in financial services, innovation and technology, and family offices. And our strategic focus will be on enhancing our promotion drive in key markets, including ASEAN and the Middle East. Hong Kong FinTech Week will be an important platform to turn these foci areas into action. It is an engine to drive businesses to Hong Kong, as well as create bridges for our city's fintech ecosystem to capture global opportunities."
This year, semi-finalists of the Global Fast Track will be invited to Hong Kong to pitch in person on stage during HKFW, with the grand finale taking place on the second day. This is an unparalleled opportunity for qualified fintech innovators to showcase their profile in front of thousands of audience members, key corporates and investors looking for fintech solutions and investment opportunities. This year, the programme received an overwhelming response, with over 500 applications from 56 economies worldwide.
List of esteemed speakers at the main conference
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and regulators:
The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan;
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui;
The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau;
The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue;
The Chief Executive Officer of the IA, Mr Clement Cheung;
The Executive Director (Intermediaries) of the SFC, Dr Eric Yip;
The Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan;
The Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong;
The Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau; and
The Deputy Director-General of Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, Dr Jimmy Chiang.
Mainland Government and regulators:
The Director of the Local Financial Management Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, Mr Shi Weigan; and
The Director-General of the Guangzhou Municipal Local Finance Administration Bureau, Mr Fu Xiaochu.
Industry leaders:
Highlighted speakers in the tech space:
The Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Xiaomi Corporation, Mr Alain Lam;
The Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Linklogis, Mr Charles Song;
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ant Group, Mr Eric Jing;
The Corporate Vice President, Head of Tencent Financial Technology of Tencent, Mr Forest Lin; and
The Managing Director and General Manager, Sales and Operations of Google Hong Kong, Mr Michael Yue.
Highlighted speakers in the AI and advanced technologies space:
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 4Paradigm, Mr Dai Wenyuan;
The Founder of 3Cap Investment, Ms Esther Wong;
The Chief Executive Officer of Fosun Capital, Mr Mike Xu;
The Co-founder of SenseTime, Mr Xu Bing; and
The Chief Executive Officer of Du Xiaoman Technology, Mr Zhu Guang.
Highlighted speakers in the blockchain space:
The Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of R3, Mr David E. Rutter;
The Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Circle, Mr Jeremy Allaire;
The President of Solana Foundation, Ms Lily Liu;
The Chief Executive Officer of Bullish, Mr Tom Farley; and
The Co-founder of Chainlink; Mr Sergey Nazarov.
Highlighted speakers in the insurtech space:
The Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong and Macau, Mr Alger Fung;
The Chief Executive Officer of Sun Life Hong Kong , Mr Clement Lam;
The Chief Executive Officer of Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong), Mr Eric Hui;
The Chief Executive Officer of AXA, Greater China, Ms Sally Wan; and
The Founder, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Waterdrop Inc, Mr Shen Peng.
Highlighted speakers in the payment space:
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aspire, Mr Andrea Baronchelli;
The Chief Executive Officer of PayMe, HSBC, Mr Brad Jones;
The President and Chief Executive Officer of GCash/Mynt, Ms Martha Sazon;
The Global Head of Coin Systems and Liink by JP Morgan, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Mr Naveen Mallela; and
The Chief Executive Officer of GX Bank, Ms Pei Si Lai.
Highlighted speakers in the financial space:
The General Manager, Personal Digital Banking Product Department of Bank of China (Hong Kong), Mr Arnold Chow;
The International President of Standard Chartered, Mr Benjamin Hung;
The Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of WeBank, Mr Henry Ma;
The Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong, of HSBC, Ms Luanne Lim; and
The Head of Services of Citi, Mr Shahmir Khaliq.
Highlighted speakers in the Venture Capital & Investing space:
The Managing Partner of GCCVest Advisors Limited, Mr Ben Jelloun;
The Managing Principal, Global Head of Capital Markets, Co-Chair of Alternative Investments of Gaw Capital Partners, Ms Christina Gaw;
Partner of 5Y Capital, Mr Elwin Yuan;
The Co-founder and Managing Partner of DST Global, Mr John Lindfors; and
The Co-founder and Chairman of Gobi Partners, Mr Thomas G. Tsao.
Finoverse is the appointed event organiser of HKFW 2024. For more information and the latest updates on speakers and livestream details, please visit www.fintechweek.hk/, or follow via official social media accounts:
LinkedIn: Hong Kong Fintech Week; and
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/HongKongFinTechWeek.
Hong Kong FinTech Week 2024 "Illuminating New Pathways in Fintech" details released Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong FinTech Week 2024 "Illuminating New Pathways in Fintech" details released Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong FinTech Week 2024 "Illuminating New Pathways in Fintech" details released Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
