Secretary Rosanna Law Highlights Hong Kong's Tourism Innovations at WTCF Gala Dinner

Speech by SCST at World Tourism Cities Federation Hong Kong Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2025 Gala Dinner

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) Hong Kong Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2025 Gala Dinner today (April 16):

Mr Michael Lee, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Guo Huaigang, Secretary General of WTCF, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen and friends from the global tourism community,

Good evening, everyone!

Over the past few days, we have witnessed together a rich and colourful array of Summit activities, from experiencing Hong Kong's diversified and unique tourism resources through visiting tourists attractions, to engaging in in-depth fora and meetings about the latest developments, trends, and insights of the tourism industry, on top of deepened mutual understanding and strengthened friendship, I know that we also reached valuable consensus covering many aspects on tourism development. Through exploring innovative strategies and best practices that can elevate our respective destinations and enhance the experiences we offer to visitors from around the globe together, I am confident that we shall meet our common goal and achieve high-quality development of the tourism economy.

As far as Hong Kong is concerned, we boast significant traditional strengths: world-class tourist attractions, vibrant culinary scene, efficient urban management and unparalleled transport systems, to name just a few. Some of you have experienced first hand the tourism assets of Hong Kong earlier this week and just now in the afternoon. But Hong Kong is a city that never stands still. We are working in full steam to strengthen these assets, as well as unearthing new tourism resources to consolidate our position as a world-class premier tourist destination. One of our key strategies is to press ahead with the four "+ Tourism" directions, which integrates culture, sports, ecology and mega events into our tourism offerings. And tonight we are enjoying the breathtaking ambiance of the iconic Happy Valley racecourse, which is a perfect example for illustrating this approach.

Horse racing has been a cornerstone of Hong Kong's cultural identity for over a century. It is a game, a sport and so much more. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is Hong Kong's largest charitable donor, and the various sectors under my purview – sports, culture and tourism, benefit tremendously from the generosity of the Jockey Club. And as you can see and feel for yourselves, horse-racing is also a vibrant social event that brings people together, and people are enjoying themselves no doubt. We are further enriching this activity with cultural experiences, culinary delights, and entertainment. Unique tourism products, integrating different offerings, are being developed to bring holistic experience to visitors. Similarly, we are also crafting a series of distinctive and attractive tourism products and projects under the four "+ Tourism" directions to showcase Hong Kong's unique and diversified characteristics in new and exciting ways.

Tourism is an important dynamo for economic development, and an important bridge that connects people and culture. In the face of future challenges and opportunities, we need to unite more closely and jointly explore new friends, areas and paths in tourism. I believe that with the friendship we developed in the last few days, and our concerted efforts, we can together foster brighter and sustainable development of the global tourism industry.

Once again, please accept my sincere gratitude for your active participation in this episode of the Fragment Hills Tourism Summit, and your unwavering dedication to advancing the tourism sector.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my special and heartfelt gratitude to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Chairman Michael and CEO Winfried, for the Club's generous sponsorship of this wonderful evening.

Thank you so very much, and enjoy the rest of your evening!

FEHD announces list of first batch of permitted food premises for dog entry

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (June 26) announced that, as of yesterday (June 25), among the successful food premises allocated quotas for allowing dogs to enter according to the ballot result, 833 have completed the procedures and dogs will be allowed to enter their premises starting from July 9. The list has been uploaded to the FEHD's dedicated webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/dog_restaurants/index.html).

A spokesman for the FEHD said, "As some successful food premises withdrew their applications or did not complete the procedures due to various reasons, the FEHD will arrange applicants on the waiting list to fill the vacancies according to the sequential order from the earlier ballot results. The department has gradually notified those waitlisted applicants via SMS, and deployed dedicated officers to visit the food premises concerned in batches to deliver Approval Letters to the operators starting from today. Waitlisted applicants allocated a quota must, on or before July 7, bring along the Approval Letter and the existing original copy of the restaurant licence, to any Licence Issuing Offices listed in the Approval Letter, and pay a fee of $140 to amend the licence to include the permission."

The FEHD, apart from notified applicants the ballot results via SMS earlier after the open ballot, has also deployed dedicated officers to visit successful food premises applicants to deliver Approval Letters, and brief their operators on the statutory requirements, licence conditions and other compliance arrangements, including reminding the applicants again to voluntarily verify whether the location of the food premises permits the entry of dogs.

The spokesman said, the new measure aims to respond to the aspirations of members of the public, create new business opportunities for the catering industry, and promote harmony between people and pets. Apart from hotpot restaurants, barbecue restaurants, and restaurants with an area less than 20 square metres, all restaurants with a full licence may apply for the dog-admission permission.

The FEHD advises that permitted food premises should make adequate preparations for allowing dogs to enter, including planning dining areas, installing facilities, training staff, and contacting insurance companies. In addition, co-operation among customers bringing dogs and other members of the public is also crucial. The FEHD has earlier released the Guidelines on Good Practices and Behaviour, covering points to note for restaurant operators, and both customers bringing dogs and those without dogs. The FEHD encourages different parties to refer to the Guidelines, fulfil their responsibilities, and respect one another, thereby promoting pet inclusivity.

Source: AI-found images