The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, this morning (March 20) paid a courtesy call on the Director General of Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, Mr Li Bin, to exchange views and explore opportunities of enhancing collaboration. The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Vivian Sum, and various tourism industry representatives also joined the visit.

     Mr Yeung said, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has always attached great importance to connections with Guangdong province. Exchanges between the two places at the community level have been frequent and there is much room for further collaboration on cultural tourism. As the country's Culture and Tourism Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) clearly supports Hong Kong in developing into an international tourism hub and a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism, Hong Kong takes up an important role in promoting the high-quality development of GBA tourism. With the country's support, I am confident that Hong Kong could bring a positive impact on developing the GBA into a world-class bay area for leisure by utilising its well-developed cross-boundary infrastructure and rich tourism resources. On cultural collaborations, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have built a platform for cultural co-operation since 2002 and will strive to strengthen the relevant mechanism, with a view to boosting opportunities for arts groups to perform in the GBA."

     The HKSAR Government has been proactively delivering projects since the promulgation of the Culture and Tourism Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has supported 54 local productions of different genres to stage a total of 141 performances in seven Mainland cities in the GBA as well as the Macao Special Administrative Region since 2018, and established its network and communication mechanism with major performance venues in the GBA. Create Hong Kong has also supported a number of activities to promote the development of creative industries in the GBA, which include participating in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Biannual Meeting to Discuss the Development of Film Industries 2021, inviting cities of the GBA to participate in "Business of Design Week", and sponsoring the PMQ in organising the "Renewed Creativity" roving exhibition in Shenzhen.
      
     Mr Yeung attended training activities for the tourism industry organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board in Guangzhou this afternoon. He will return to Hong Kong tonight.

Ends/Monday, March 20, 2023
Issued at HKT 16:00

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