The annual Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival returned to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, treating visitors from around the world with a feast of fine wine and delicacies while giving the city's dining and tourism scene a welcome boost.
Running from Thursday to Sunday, the event featured a range of themed zones, with more than 300 booths offering food and drinks from around 30 countries and regions.
The festival ran from day into night, extending its opening hours until 1:00 a.m. for the first time on Friday and Saturday nights, giving visitors more time to spend and further tapping into the potential of nighttime dining and cultural tourism.
Peter Lam, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said the event, now in its second decade, has grown significantly in both scale and attendance.
"This is one of the highlights of Hong Kong's 'mega-events economy.' We host various major events every year. The Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival has been running for 15 years, with its scale growing and attracting more participants with each passing year. On the first day alone, the number of participants nearly doubled compared to the same day last year. Attendance has also been high over the past few days, and we are confident that overall numbers this year will see an increase of 10 to 20 percent compared to last year," he said.
The event also promotes coordinated growth across sectors including dining, retail, hospitality, transport and tourism, while showcasing Hong Kong's vibrancy and appeal to the world as Asia's "capital of mega-events."
"Beyond the four-day Wine and Dine Festival, the entire November will be dedicated to the 'Hong Kong Gourmet Month,' with events taking place across various locations in Hong Kong. Given that Hong Kong is Asia's culinary capital, we believe this is extremely beneficial for advancing the region's 'mega-events economy,'" said Lam.
Moreover, the festival's international appeal was evident among the crowds. Local residents, visiting tourists and foreign residents of Hong Kong gathered along the waterfront in the evening light, sampling food, enjoying performances and posing for photos while immersing themselves in the region's diverse and inclusive atmosphere.
"I think it's a fantastic event. I love to see big events like this in Hong Kong. I've tasted a couple of wines; I highly recommend it. It's a big international event, lots of different showings from different parts of the world. Great to see everyone coming together in one place," said a visitor.
Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival draws global visitors, fuels tourism growth
