The Events Capital of Asia

Throughout 1997, the HKTA organised a series of new and established
events to promote Hong Kong as a year-round travel destination and to
highlight its unique blend of East and West. The extensive range of
top-quality events added to Hong Kong's reputation as the Events Capital
of Asia.

In particular, the HKTA organised the second Hong Kong Chinese
New Year Parade on the first day of the Year of the Ox, and the
complementary three-day Health and Fortune Expo at the beginning of the
Lunar New Year. In March, in conjunction with the Hong Kong Food
Festival, the Culinary Awards competition was judged by 41 international
gourmets, food-writers and chefs from around the world.

In June, Hong Kong hosted the 2nd World Dragon Boat Racing
Championships which, including Hong Kong, attracted 18 teams of some
1 100 people from around the globe. Running concurrently with the final
two days of the World Championships was the annual Hong Kong Dragon
Boat Festival-International Races, in which 26 overseas teams took part.
The Row for Charity races at the festival raised more than $770,000 for
the Community Chest. Both events were organised by the HKTA and the
Provisional Regional Council, in conjunction with the Hong Kong Dragon
Boat Association and the Hong Kong Sports Development Board
(HKSDB).

At around the same time, the HKTA also supported the HKSDB in
co-organising the first Marketing of Sports in the 21st Century
conference, which attracted some 100 participants from 18 countries.

The HKTA also sought to boost Hong Kong's reputation as the Events
Capital of Asia through the overseas promotion of international events,
which included the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Hong Kong Arts
Festival and the International Cricket Sixes tournament.

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