Hong Kong already
under the spell of '97
Hong Kong is still a major financial and economic
force in Asia. But, with a view to the 'Turnover' in
1997, questions are arising about the future of the
British colony. After many years of investments
Heineken has seen its sales increase over the past
six years. Will 1997 throw a spanner in the works?
Or will it in fact create new opportunities?
Part and parcel of any visit to
Hong Kong is the trip to
Victoria Peak. Of the six mil
lion people who visit Hong Kong each
year, the majority go to the Peak to
enjoy the breathtaking panorama over
Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The
view takes in countless skyscrapers
(both office towers and apartment
blocks) nestling shoulder to shoulder.
And building work continues all the
time. The occupant who last year still
enjoyed a magnificent view from a fiat
on the 25th floor is today probably
looking out at another newly built
colossus. But the local population
don't worry about that. The almost six
million inhabitants are proud of their
territory and willingly accept the
shortage of space.
'Mecca'
Hong Kong is a sparkling city,
vibrantly alive 24 hours a day. With its
countless shops and restaurants Hong
Kong is a mecca for shopping fans and
'foodies'. So it's not surprising that the
third place on the list of revenue earn
ings, after textiles and electronics, is
proudly occupied by tourism, with
visitors annually spending up to 40
billion HK dollars (almost six billion
US dollars). The six million visitors
each year are not businessmen who
spend their money in the local shops
during their hard-earned spare time.
Two-thirds of all visitors are tourists
who 'do' Hong Kong in a couple of
days. Most of them are Taiwanese and
Japanese. The tourists from Taiwan
use Hong Kong as a stepping stone on
their way to visit relatives in the
People's Republic of China because
a direct link between Taiwan and
China is not (yet) possible for political
reasons.
Equal pace
The growth in tourism has kept
equal pace with the growth in Hong
Kong's economy over the past 25
years. When governor Sir David
Trench took up office in the 'sixties,
that signalled the start of decades of
economic growth. In his view Hong
Kong was much more than just a
19
Hong Kong is a hectic city; busy, constant
traffic and vibrantly alive 24 hours a day.
British colony. Hong Kong had to
expand to become the economic heart
of Asia. His ideal became reality and
tourism followed in the wake of the
economic boom. Over the years,
however, the Hong Kong Tourist
Association (HKTA) has had to cope
with two major setbacks. HKTA's
Stephen Wong: 'In the early 'seventies
THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
