Dear Editor
Not long before, Hong Kong was having a major financial crisis. With doom and gloom in our economy, Hong Kong people are still struggling to recover from the financial turmoil. I believe hosting major sports events is a good way to boost tourism, so that our economy could revive and the once-tarnished Pearl of the Orient would shine again. Not only can major sports events bring tourists to our city, they also improve Hong Kong’s image in the long term, and attract even more tourists. Hosting major sports event is really the silver lining to our economy.
To begin with, it is evident that hosting major sports events brings a great number of tourists. Hong Kong is renowned for holding the international 7-player rugby competition. Every year the event brings thousands of rugby lovers to our city. The money they spend on transport, accommodation and so on really contributes quite a portion to our city’s income. Many job opportunities may stem from tourism. With the problem of unemployment escalating, holding major sports events may be a cure. By holding those events, many of the sports enthusiasts would rush to Hong Kong.
Added to this, holding major sports events helps portray Hong Kong as an international city of sports. Many tourists raise their eyebrows upon the poor air quality and hectic lifestyle of our hustling and bustling city. That is indeed a major reason why tourists refrain from coming to Hong Kong. Via hosting major sports events, the problem would cease to be a headache. It would leave the tourists the impression that the metropolis also values sports and health. As we all know, Hong Kong is held in high regard for its business and financial system and is called the Shoppers’ Paradise, yet the lifestyle of Hongkongers is often unhealthy. By promoting sports, Hong Kong would become an international financial and sports centre, which is more attractive to tourists.
While some people like me embrace the policy of hosting major sports events, some are averse to the policy on the grounds that there is not enough space or infrastructure to hold those sports events. In my opinion, it is not a major issue. Hong Kong is having quite a number of stadiums and sports resorts. The fact that some of the events in the 2008 Olympic Games were held in Hong Kong reflects that Hong Kong is capable of holding major sports events.
In conclusion, hosting major sports events is a great cure to our tourism and brings a lot of benefits. In the short run, there will be more tourists visiting our city to watch the events. In the long run, it improves Hong Kong’s image as a city with a healthy lifestyle, and hence attracts more visitors. I believe our economy would flourish again if different organizations work in tandem with the Government to host more sports events in the city.