Hong Kong cut tourism sector funding by 40 per cent, despite spending HK$784 million of taxpayer dollars on loss-making Ocean Park
- Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Joe Wong defends reduced HK$951.5 million for sector in 2023-24 financial year
- Lawmakers pick up on slashed budget and question government over decision to reduce spending while dishing out large sum to theme park
Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Joe Wong Chi-cho this week defended the HK$951.5 million allocated to the industry for the 2023-24 financial year. The figure, stated in legislative documents released earlier this month, was picked up by some lawmakers who challenged the government’s decision to pull back support and queried funds allocated to the theme park.
The amount was HK$575.9 million less than the HK$1.53 billion the sector received in the financial year ending March 31.
In a written reply to questions on government spending, Wong said Ocean Park Corporation had received HK$784 million in funding in 2022-23.
He responded to lawmaker Chan Yung who asked why the tourism budget had been slashed when the sector needed support urgently. Lawmaker Sunny Tan also weighed in, asking whether the theme park had used other funds allocated by the government previously.
