By Dr. Kevin Lau
In the vibrant arena of global sports, Hong Kong has recently become a stage for thrilling spectacles that captivate hearts and minds. This summer, football enthusiasts were treated to a feast: first, reigning Premier League champions Liverpool clashed with Italian powerhouse AC Milan, followed by the iconic North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham—marking its historic debut outside the United Kingdom. Both matches ignited a frenzy, drawing nearly 50,000 spectators to the venues and bringing the excitement into countless homes through television broadcasts. As a resident deeply invested in our city's progress, I found myself immersed in the atmosphere, reflecting on how such events elevate Hong Kong's stature as an international metropolis and a hub for world-class gatherings.
Hong Kong's positioning as a global city and a capital of events aligns seamlessly with hosting landmark sports competitions, a strategy that amplifies our cultural and economic vibrancy. Sports is a colossal industry, and organizing mega-events like the UEFA European Championship or the Olympics is often viewed as a golden opportunity for the host nation and city. These occasions not only garner worldwide recognition but also deliver profound positive contributions to the local economy, with impacts that extend far beyond short-term revenue. Fans traveling from as far as Myanmar and Shantou to witness the North London Derby take home more than memories of a football match—they carry impressions of Hong Kong's cosmopolitan image, opening doors to myriad business prospects.
Of course, staging large-scale sports events demands investment, yet it unlocks immense economic opportunities in tourism, hospitality, and infrastructure. Fortunately, Hong Kong has already laid the groundwork with significant expenditures on venues like sports parks and transportation networks. Future events will likely yield returns far exceeding costs, like a wise investment bearing abundant fruit.
In the post-pandemic era, both the government and industry are keenly focused on revitalizing Hong Kong's tourism sector. A major advantage of hosting landmark sports events lies in their capacity to turbocharge tourism and related industries, generating positive and far-reaching economic effects. Take the 2016 Rio Olympics as an example: it attracted over 500,000 international visitors, contributing approximately US$1.2 billion in tourism revenue to Brazil. I have friends who journeyed there with their family solely to watch athletic events. Amid one of the most severe economic recessions in modern history, the Olympics boosted foreign visitor numbers to Brazil by 4.8% and tourism income by 6.2%.
Hosting landmark sports events holds extraordinary significance: it invigorates the economy in the short term, delivers enduring benefits, and reinforces our image as an international metropolis. Hong Kong should embrace more such initiatives, transforming our city into a global stage where sports, culture, and commerce converge in harmony.
The author is a specialist in radiology, Master of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong, Founding Convenor of the Hong Kong Global Youth Professional Advocacy Action, and an adviser of the Our Hong Kong Foundation.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
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