Paul Chan Celebrates Hong Kong's Tourism Growth at Wine and Dine Festival Gala

Speech by FS at Toast to Success: Hong Kong Top Travel Agent Awards Celebration & Gala Dinner of 2025 Wine and Dine Festival

Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Toast to Success: Hong Kong Top Travel Agent Awards Celebration & Gala Dinner of 2025 Wine and Dine Festival today (October 25):

Michael (Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong), Rosanna (Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law), Peter (Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Dr Peter Lam), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening.

A very warm welcome to the Tasting Room, and the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, a world of fabulous dining and imbibing, day and night. I hope you brought your appetite. This gala evening features an eight-course dinner with splendid wine pairings, from Bordeaux and Xinjiang's Turpan Valley.

For that, and a great deal more, my thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. As Peter noted, tonight is about more than fine wine and culinary magic. It's also a celebration of collaboration, of connection.

On this good evening, I'm pleased to welcome leaders from the financial and business sectors, as well as MICE (meetings, incentive travels, conventions and exhibitions) partners from around the world. Each of you shares a passion for excellence and the promise of partnership. That creates an ideal setting to make new friends, build lasting ties and look to Hong Kong for your future.

The momentum in our tourism sector is truly encouraging. In the first nine months of this year, we welcomed over 36 million visitors from around the world, up 12 per cent year on year. And the number of international visitors increased by 16 percent. MICE is the fastest recovering segment.

Visitors added more than HK$11 billion to our economy ̶ a clear testament to the value and impact of hosting business events here.

More than a pillar of the economy, tourism brings our city's story to dazzling life, life you can see and experience, first-hand, for yourself.

Hong Kong is the events capital of Asia for good reason. This year alone, our calendar is packed with more than 200 major events. We expect they will attract some 2.3 million visitors, generating over US$1 billion in spending.

Beyond business, our city features a wide and welcome range of arts and culture, sports, entertainment and other leisure events throughout the year. The Wine & Dine Festival is a prime example, a happy celebration of Hong Kong's unique East-meets-West culture. An enticing opportunity, too, to experience another side of Hong Kong – one that is festive, fun and full of delicious surprise.

We're working to create a continuing buzz, one great, city-wide festival that never ends. Our goal is simple - to give visitors reason after remarkable reason to stay longer, explore deeper, spend more and keep coming back.

And we're building for the future, locking in long-term partnerships to ensure that these signature events become an essential part of Hong Kong's story.

Our new, multi-year deal with LIV Golf, for example, brings the world's top golfers, and their fans, right here to our city.

We're also deepening our collaboration with Art Basel, reinforcing Hong Kong's role as the region's exclusive host city for the high-profile arts extravaganza.

It's also part of our "Tourism is Everywhere" drive, one we're bringing to bright life, leveraging the city's distinctive culture, creativity and energy to attract visitors from around the world. And each of you plays an important role in realising that ambitious goal.

I invite you to become our "Tourism Ambassadors", helping us share the authentic and inspiring story of Hong Kong.

Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is just a few minutes away. I wish you all a memorable evening and a delightful stay here in Hong Kong, Asia's World City and event capital. Culinary capital, too!

And for our local friends, please mark your diary for another event - the Legislative Council election on December 7. It is an important moment for our future.

Thank you very much.

Speech by FS at Toast to Success: Hong Kong Top Travel Agent Awards Celebration & Gala Dinner of 2025 Wine and Dine Festival Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by FS at Toast to Success: Hong Kong Top Travel Agent Awards Celebration & Gala Dinner of 2025 Wine and Dine Festival Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Appointments to Construction Industry Council announced

The Government today (January 16) announced the reappointment of Professor Thomas Ho On-sing as the chairperson of the Construction Industry Council (CIC) for a one-year term, the appointment of six new non-official members, and the reappointment of 10 incumbent non-official members for a two-year term. These appointments, made by the Secretary for Development in accordance with Section 9 of the Construction Industry Council Ordinance (Cap. 587), are published in the Government Gazette today and will take effect from February 1, 2026.

Professor Thomas Ho On-sing, Photo source: FB of Construction Industry Council

The new non-official members are Mr Chau Sze-kit, Mr Paul Lau Siu-wing, Mr Robin Leung Chi-tim, Dr Lo Wai-kwok, Mr Wong Po-cheung, and Mr Yu Wai-wai. The reappointed non-official members are Mr Marvin Chen, Professor Jack Cheng Chin-pang, Mr Victor Cheung Chi-kong, Mr Danny Hung Cheung-shew, Mr Clarence Leung Wai-kin, Mr Simon Liu Sing-pang, Mr Kevin Ma Hok-ming, Mr Lawrence Ng San-wa, Mr Edwin Tong Ka-hung, and Mr Emil Yu Chen-on.

A spokesman for the Development Bureau said, "We welcome the new members and look forward to working closely with the CIC for the continuous development of the construction industry. We also thank the six outgoing members, namely Mr Thomas Ho Kwok-kwan, Mr Kan Jun, Mr Kwok Hing-wun, Mr Ricky Leung Wing-kee, Mr Tse Wang-yu, and Mr Andrew Young Meng-cheung, for their contributions to the CIC and the construction industry."

The CIC is a statutory body established in February 2007 with the mission to forge consensus on long-term strategic issues concerning the construction industry, convey the needs and aspirations of the industry to the Government, and provide a channel for the Government to solicit advice on all construction-related matters. It also collaborates with the industry to launch various training and caring schemes for industry practitioners, including its work in enhancing construction site safety and strengthening training to address the manpower needs.

Membership of the CIC as from February 1, 2026, will be as follows:

Chairperson

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Professor Thomas Ho On-sing

Members

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Professor Albert Chan Ping-chuen

Mr Chau Sze-kit

Mr Marvin Chen

Professor Jack Cheng Chin-pang

Mr Victor Cheung Chi-kong

Mr Danny Hung Cheung-shew

Mr Paul Lau Siu-wing

Mr Dominic Law Tik-ko

Mr Robin Leung Chi-tim

Mr Clarence Leung Wai-kin

Mr Simon Liu Sing-pang

Dr Lo Wai-kwok

Mr Kevin Ma Hok-ming

Mr Mow Tai-hing

Mr Lawrence Ng San-wa

Professor Alfred Sit Wing-hang

Mr Edwin Tong Ka-hung

Mr Wong Po-cheung

Mr Rex Wong Siu-han

Mr Emil Yu Chen-on

Mr Yu Wai-wai

Permanent Secretary for Development (Works)

Permanent Secretary for Housing

Director of Buildings