Landing on different sections of the upmarket pedestrian street, they belong to the “Hong Kong · Live in London!” promotion by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) that began on 12 September (Mid-Autumn Festival). The two-week-long promotion, which is designed to promote Hong Kong as a world-class travel destination, was officially launched by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mr Donald Tsang. 

HKTB Executive Director Mr Anthony Lau said: “The dragon installations on South Molton Street embody the cosmopolitan vibe, the fusion of East and West, the diversity, trend-setting fashion and vibrancy of Hong Kong, qualities that define our city as ‘Asia’s World City’. Through these dragons and other activities in the ‘Hong Kong · Live in London!’ promotion, we want British travellers to feel the spirit and energy of Hong Kong, and encourage them to visit the city.”

There are two main programmes under the “Hong Kong · Live in London!” promotion. From 12 to 18 September, an open-air carnival is staged on South Molton Street, during which spectators can enjoy a variety of street performances, such as face-changing, dragon dance, music and modern dance.

Second, to whet the appetite of UK visitors for Hong Kong cuisine, a “Hong Kong menu” is served at Mews of Mayfair from 12 to 25 September. A cross-over of Chinese and Western cuisines, this menu is a joint creation of Chef Tsang Chiu King, two-starred Michelin chef from Ming Court, Langham Place, Hong Kong, and the executive chef of Mews of Mayfair. It allows diners to enjoy the superb flavours of Hong Kong and London at the same time.

The United Kingdom (UK) is Hong Kong’s largest visitor source market in the “Europe, Africa and the Middle East” market region. In 2010, UK arrivals stood at 516,000, 0.3% more than in 2009. In terms of spending, the per capita spending among overnight UK visitors was HK$6,924, 40% higher than in 2009. This amount is also higher than the average per capita spending of overall overnight arrivals (HK$6,728). In the first seven months of this year, the number of UK arrivals remained more or less the same as the corresponding figure last year, at around 293,000.