HKTB extends chairman Pang Yiu-kai's appointment to 2025

The Hong Kong government has extended the appointment of the Hong Kong Tourism Board's chairman Pang Yiu-kai for an extra three years, effective from April 2022 to 31 March 2025.

Pang joined the Hong Kong Tourism Board in 2019 as former chairman Peter Lam stepped down in March 2019. Pang is responsible for leading the Hong Kong Tourism Board to actively promote Hong Kong as a world-class travel destination around the world, maximising the benefits of tourism for the Hong Kong economy and the community at large. Pang has extensive experience in the commercial sector. Currently, he holds multiple positions in different organisations, such as deputy managing director of Jardine Matheson Holdings, deputy chairman and deputy managing director of Jardine Matheson and director of Jardine Matheson (China).

He is also engaged in professional bodies, serving as a member of the council and general committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, of which he was chairman in 2014 to 16.

“It is my honour to be reappointed as chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board for another three years. The board will continue to make efforts in the months and years ahead to stimulate and drive the recovery of Hong Kong’s tourism industry and promote employment in this very important economic pillar of our community," he said.

Looking ahead, Pang said the Hong Kong Tourism Board will work closely with its partner cities in the Guangdong Province to extend and expand its tourism experience into the Greater Bay Area, while remaining agile and flexible in responding promptly to the latest market developments.

Dane Cheng, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, added, "We look forward to Pang’s continuing guidance in leading the board in our mission to promote Hong Kong as a world-class destination for leisure and business visitors. The board will be working closely with members of the travel trade and related sectors to provide support to the industry and the economy. At the same time, we will maintain Hong Kong’s visibility in major source markets, with a view to attracting visitors back to Hong Kong as soon as possible when travel resumes."

Last week, the Hong Kong Tourism Board announced its plan to revive the city's tourism industry and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the city’s handover to China. It has received an additional HK$600 million in funding from the government, adding to the budget of HK$1.35 billion this year.

According to multiple reports from the South China Morning Postand the Hong Kong Economic Journal, HKTB's executive director Dane Cheng said the total financial resources would be used to promote tourism, including local consumption. HKTB predicts that there will be significant growth in the number of arrivals in H2 2022, reaching 9.6 million inbound travellers from China to the rest of the world.

Although HKTB expects the number of inbound travellers is likely to increase in the second half of the year, Cheng said it would be difficult to determine when quarantine-free travel with China and other countries would be restored. He added that it would be good for the government to have a plan to reopen the city internally and reconnect with the rest of the world.

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