Some 4,000 paddlers from 10 countries and regions will compete in the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races on June 24 and 25 when the iconic event resumes after a four-year hiatus.

Champion teams in five of the 17 races will each receive $10,000 (HK$78,000) for the first time.

After years of suspension due to the civil unrest and pandemic, the races set on the weekend after the Dragon Boat Festival holiday bring teams from 11 cities in the Greater Bay Area with a view to fostering exchanges and learning from each other’s strengths.

Additionally, a Hong Kong-Macau Trophy will be jointly held by the two SARs for the first time.

Six teams from the mainland, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong and Macau will compete in the Macau races and the Hong Kong leg on June 22 and 24 respectively. The Hong Kong-Macao Trophy finals are on June 25.

Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association Arnold secretary general Chung Chi-lok said the resumption of the race has drawn positive responses.

Tourism Board executive director Dane Cheng Ting-yat said a quarter of the participants are from overseas, including national teams from Australia, the Philippines and Thailand.

Restaurants around Tsim Sha Tsui East plan to offer various privileges from June 22 to 25, including discounts on dining in.

People can enjoy the event near Avenue of Stars, where they can take selfies with the festival’s limited edition messaging app characters called Line Friends for two weeks from June 19.

“These events are meant to promote interaction among the cities in the Greater Bay Area, expand the market for twin-destination tourism between Hong Kong and Macau, and also push for a multistop travel experience,” Cheng said.

“We hope that more events, including sporting events, will include cultural elements to strengthen our cities’ cooperation, and give tourists a fruitful experience in order to create our Greater Bay Area branding.”

Cheng said he is satisfied that more than 10 million visitors entered Hong Kong in the first five months of the year, or 40 percent of the average for the years 2017 to 2019, and inbound visitors in May reached 55 percent of that.

He predicts 26 million inbound travellers for this year and hopes for more visitors in the second half.

Based on a survey, he said tourists are especially interested in nature-related activities such as hiking and visiting culture and arts-related spots, such as the M+ Museum and the Palace Museum.

Cheng said it would take more time for visitor numbers to recover and hopes Hong Kong’s reception capacity at the airport would gradually improve.

“There is no rush to bring the visitor numbers back to the peak,” he said. “The most important thing is to provide tourists a good experience.”

https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/11/253211/Pride -and-cash -on-the-line-as-dragon-boat-races-return

Category: Hong Kong