A few days earlier when the news broke that Hong Kong would stage the equestrian events of the Beijing Olympic Games, Hong Kong people were generally overwhelmed by joy, for it is not only a big event for the sports sector and the tourism industry, but also a big event for Hong Kong.
During the past few days, however, I have heard that some people have reservations about the hosting of the equestrian events. For instance, some say that the direct financial return to the city is about HK$350 million, not an impressive amount when compared with the expenses; some others say that since the local people do not know much about dressage or show jumping, staging the events here would have little meaning. In an open society like Hong Kong, it is commonplace to have a variety of opinions on any matter. Perhaps I should also try to state my views here.
As we all know, during each Olympic Games, the host city will become virtually the only focus of international media coverage as well as billions of audience around the world, which means not only free promotion, but also the best possible promotion. By playing host to the Olympic equestrian events, Hong Kong will enhance its international profile, make itself known to people living in every corner of the world, and share the sense of achievement with all Chinese about China's first ever staging of the Olympics, which is a good thing no matter how we see it.
The hosting of any Olympic events is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime chance for any city. Some people remark that Hong Kong may not have much financial return by doing that, which in my view is rather superficial. It is not uncommon that tourism promotion cannot generate instant results, and we therefore should not allow our long-term vision to be blocked by short-term return. I would suggest that tourism promotion is similar to a process of image-building. When tourists the world over hear the words "Hong Kong", what will they immediately think of? Shopping and gourmet food perhaps. But if we can successfully stage the Olympic equestrian events three years later, "Hong Kong" will then be most likely associated with mega events of sports and other areas. In such a way, the perception of Hong Kong in the eyes of tourists will be changed subtly and the attraction of Hong Kong will also be boosted considerably.
Finally, Hong Kong people have been quite downcast and have lost their confidence during the past few years in the wake of some uncontrollable impacts such as the Asian financial turmoil and the SARS outbreak. If, however, we try to ponder on the critical factors that have contributed to Hong Kong's success, we will find that they are still present and functioning. Occasional setbacks are sometimes inevitable, but only perseverance can help us overcome them. The tourism industry has also experienced quite a number of setbacks in the past few years. Fortunately, those setbacks are now behind us and I believe other industries will also have such a day very soon. What Hong Kong needs most is therefore some mega events that can inject its citizens with vigour and enthusiasm, and help them restore their confidence. I have no doubt that the Olympic equestrian events can do just that.
Let's now turn our attention to how we can make the equestrian events of the 2008 Olympic Games a real success.
Ronnie Ho
14 July 2005