Mega-events held in Hong Kong in the first half of the year attracted around 550,000 tourists who collectively spent HK$2.4 billion (10.4 billion baht), the government has said.
Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, the new secretary for culture, sports and tourism, said on Wednesday that 110 mega-events in the first six months of 2024 drew an estimated 550,000 tourists to "participate".
"They brought around HK$2.4 billion of spending and a value add of about HK$1.4 billion," she said in a written response to lawmakers' questions.
Conventions and exhibitions accounted for the most events with 38, followed by cultural, arts and creative ones with 31, and 15 related to finance, economy, innovation and technology. Fourteen were sports events.
Law said mega-events bore strategic significance to the city's development.
"Not only [do they] bring business opportunities and economic benefits to different industries, including hotel, catering, retail, transport, but [they] also generate positive publicity for Hong Kong in the globe to showcase the city's position as a liberal cosmopolitan with rich cultural heritage," she said.
The Mega Events Coordination Group, established in January this year and led by Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun, was also meant to be a "high-level steer" to facilitate the organisation of mega-events across various bureaus and departments, Law said.
But the Hong Kong Tourism Board remained the first point of contact for organisers, and helped with reviewing and assessing proposals, venue searching and other advisory work, she added.
She said a HK$100 million budget earmarked for the coordination group, as announced in February's budget, was for supporting its work in boosting mega-event promotions over the next three years.
"The government will review and, in response to ongoing developments and updates of the planning of mega-events, optimise resources to enhance the publicity effort of mega events," she said.