HONG KONG — Hong Kong leader John Lee said on Thursday (Dec 5) he had replaced two senior officials in an unexpected move that he said would maximise social and economic benefits and help the city "catch up" with other tourism destinations.

Hong Kong has struggled to revive its appeal among international tourists after sometimes violent mass protests in 2019 and strict travel rules imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lee told reporters at a press conference that he had been "observing the situation for quite some time" before deciding to replace Kevin Yeung, secretary for culture, sports and tourism and Lam Sai-hung, secretary for transport and logistics.

"We have gone through the epidemic, protests in 2019, we need to catch up. I want to create the biggest societal and economic benefit for Hong Kong," Lee said.

Mable Chan will take over as transport secretary, while Rosanna Law will be the new sports, culture and tourism secretary, Lee said. Both women have worked for the government for more than 30 years.

"We strive to do better all the time," Lee added. "The two new secretaries will make good use of their leadership and their ability to explain policies clearly."

The government has been trying to draw international visitors with a series of sporting and cultural events as well as large scale conferences.

Authorities are planning a large scale panda carnival from Dec 11 to 21 to capitalise on the six pandas currently living at a theme park in the city. Two were born in Hong Kong earlier this year, while Beijing loaned two more to the city in September.

Some 36.68 million tourists have visited Hong Kong in the 10 months to the end of October 2024, according to latest government data. Authorities have said they hope to reach 46 million arrivals this year.

The numbers remain below the highs seen before the protests and the pandemic. In 2018, Hong Kong recorded more than 65 million arrivals.

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Source: Reuters