Walled City expo turnout beats 10,000 in first week

Walled City expo turnout beats 10,000 in first week
Rosanna Law predicts a 16 percent spike in mainland visitors this weekend due to the Dragon Boat Festival. File photo: RTHK
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said on Saturday more than 10,000 people have visited a new exhibition held at Kowloon Walled City Park, the original site of the former Walled City, in just the first week of its opening.
The 'Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey' exhibition, which features replicas of movie sets from the award-winning film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, opened to public last Saturday in a three-year run.
To augment the experience as well as manage the flow of visitors, Law said the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has put in place a special ticket arrangement that allows visitors to enter the exhibition at designated times.
"The Director of Leisure and Cultural Services has told me that the new [system] has been successful,' she said on a Commercial Radio programme.
'Of course, visitors still need to wait, but they are happier if they can take a break from queueing.
"Having breakfast nearby is very convenient; it only takes five to seven minutes to get to Kowloon City.'
Law also said four concurrent concerts held last weekend brought out almost 100,000 fans on a single night.
She said an essential principle in tourism is that 'when popularity flourishes, wealth and good luck follow' and stressed that Hong Kong should not belittle itself as being an unappealing travel destination.
However, she conceded that some people did not stay overnight after attending the concerts and said the sector should come up with measures to attract overnight spending, including packages that include hotel and concert tickets.
Law also predicted there would be a 16 percent increase in visits from the mainland this weekend compared to a typical weekend due to the Dragon Boat Festival.
However, she gave an assurance, saying the authorities are experienced in managing such influxes.
This weekend also sees the last testing event for the 15th National Games in Hong Kong.
The test event, featuring the Challenge Cups Fencing Championships, will conclude on Sunday.
Law estimates that around 100,000 visitors will attend the National Games events in Hong Kong, scheduled to take place between November 9 and 21.
She added that ticketing arrangements will be announced this summer, with both online and offline sales available.

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