Trendy facelift for Central

OLD streets in Central will undergo a facelift to transform them into a new trendy lifestyle area under a new plan aimed at attracting more visitors, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (旅遊發展局) said.

Wyndham Street (雲咸街) will be designated as the east front of ‘Old Town Central’ (舊城中環), south on Caine Road (堅道), west on Possession Street (水坑口街) and north on Queen’s Road Central (皇后大道中).

Arts, cultural, dining and entertainment elements will be injected into the area, and the project could be expanded to other districts in the future. A carnival will be held in the summer at the Central harbourfront as part of the handover celebrations.

Chairman Peter Lam Kin-ngok (林建岳) said the board also wants to hold an international eGames event, apart from the provision of music and food, during the carnival. He said an ‘Olympics for electronic games’ will lure world-class gamers and young visitors from around the world and certain regular events like the Hong Kong Cyclothon (香港單車節) and the Wine and Dine Festival (美酒佳餚巡禮), will be expanded.

The board said 56.65 million people visited Hong Kong last year – 4.5 percent fewer from a year earlier. While the number of international visitors rose by 3.1 percent to 13.88 million, mainland visitor numbers went down 6.7 percent to 42.78 million, attributable to travel restrictions imposed on Shenzhen (深圳) residents.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 15 February 2017)

Hong Kong Tourism Boardwork plan for 2016-17
http://goo.gl/mRycQk

Hong Kong tourism
http://goo.gl/RBLRgV