Harbourfront Olympic Rings Cast Glamour Over Co-Host City

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) unveiled today (1 May) the Olympic rings fronting the Victoria Harbour, on the eve of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in Hong Kong. 

Guests officiating at the Olympic rings lights-up ceremony included HKTB Chairman The Hon James Tien; Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mrs Carrie Yau; Commissioner for Tourism, Miss Au King-chi; President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, The Hon Timothy Fok; Chairman of the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and Sports Association for the Physically Disabled, Mrs Jenny Fung; as well as representatives from local tourism and retail industries.

Chairman of the HKTB, The Hon James Tien said, “The construction of the Olympic rings by HKTB is meant to support the SAR Government’s effort in creating a citywide Olympic ambience.  They will become a landmark at the harbourfront and provide a perfect backdrop for visitors’ photos of Hong Kong.

“We’ve already invited both Mainland and international media to come and feature Hong Kong’s preparation for staging the Equestrian Events, the citywide Olympic ambience and the Olympic rings.  We hope that the coverage will maximise the global exposure and publicity for Hong Kong as an Olympic co-host city, further elevating the city’s image,” said Mr Tien.

The Olympic rings structure measures 15 metres (about 5 storeys) in height and 35 metres in width. The diameter of each ring is about 10 metres. Displayed at the harbourfront exterior of Hong Kong Museum of Art from today until 31 December 2008, the rings will be fully lit in the evening, further enhancing the city’s night vistas and allowing visitors and residents to see the structure both day and night.

Apart from the Olympic rings, the HKTB will launch a series of promotional activities locally so that visitors can fully experience the Olympic atmosphere in Hong Kong. Among these is setting up an Olympic Piazza outside Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Besides broadcasting the Olympic Games through giant screens, the HKTB will dedicate an area to showcase Hong Kong’s major attractions in the Piazza. During the Olympic period, various ports of entry and special locations in the city will be adorned with Olympics decoration, while visitors will be greeted by Olympic mascots at selected ports of entry. In addition, special Olympic-themed guidebooks will be produced for distribution to visitors.

The HKTB has also geared up its marketing activities in the Mainland and overseas. Since late last year, the HKTB has launched promotional events with equestrian federations and travel trade in markets participating in the Olympic equestrian events, or where the equestrian sport is popular. To capture the visitor traffic to Mainland China pre- and post-Olympics, the HKTB has teamed up with overseas travel trade to promote “multi-destination” itineraries.

For the Asian markets, the HKTB rolled out in mid-April a series of Olympic promotional videos in collaboration with three renowned regional cable channels starring local celebrities and sports personalities. Across Mainland China, the HKTB has joined hands with national satellite channels and other media organisations to produce a wide range of travel features, showcasing to Mainland visitors the distinctive local living culture and diverse appeal of Hong Kong as an Olympic co-host city.

PHOTO CREDIT: The “Olympic Rings Lights Up Ceremony” was officiated by HKTB Chairman The Hon James Tien; Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mrs Carrie Yau; Commissioner for Tourism, Miss Au King-chi; President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, The Hon Timothy Fok; Chairman of the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and Sports Association for the Physically Disabled, Mrs Jenny Fung