Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office and Hong Kong Tourism Board jointly organize a New Year's Eve reception to celebrate the Year of the Snake

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto (HKETO) and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (Canada) (HKTB) jointly hosted a Lunar New Year reception in Toronto on January 23, inviting over 120 guests to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Snake. Business, cultural, academic, and community elites gather together to learn about the latest economic and cultural developments in Hong Kong.

The Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Wu Wanjing, stated in her welcome speech at the reception that Hong Kong has achieved encouraging results in 2024.

Wu Wanjing said, "We shine brightly on the world stage. Hong Kong has become the world's freest economy and the third largest international financial center. Its global competitiveness has risen two places to fifth place, and its talent competitiveness has returned to the top ten in the world. It continues to maintain its position as the world's number one in investment environment, international trade, commercial regulations, air cargo volume, and more

Welcome Speech by Wu Wanjing, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund released an evaluation report today, acknowledging Hong Kong's economic recovery and the maintenance of a strong financial system. The report confirms that the Hong Kong economy is gradually recovering and reaffirms Hong Kong's position and function as an international financial center. It also recognizes that Hong Kong's financial system remains strong under a robust institutional framework, sufficient policy buffer space, and smooth operation of the linked exchange rate system

Wu Wanjing continued, looking forward to the Year of the Snake, Hong Kong will better leverage its unique advantages under the "One Country, Two Systems" policy, continue to serve as a "super contact" and "super value-added person", connecting traditional markets with emerging markets, and creating opportunities for global investors, including Canadian companies.

Li George, Senior Manager of Marketing and Public Relations at the Hong Kong Tourism Board, also shared with the attendees the achievements of the Hong Kong Tourism Board in 2024 and its tourism promotion plan for 2025 at the reception.

He said, "In 2024, Hong Kong will welcome 45 million tourists, of which 1.2 million are from North America. In the Canadian market alone, over 320000 Canadian tourists visited Hong Kong last year, an increase of nearly 50% year-on-year. The Hong Kong Tourism Board and its trading partners have launched unique tourism products with iconic events, allowing Canadian tourists to better understand Hong Kong's diverse culture. Therefore, we are very grateful to our trading partners for maintaining cooperation with us

Looking ahead to the future, visitors to Hong Kong will be able to visit vibrant and diverse attractions, experience the unique cultural identity and sustainable tourism measures of Hong Kong's blend of Chinese and Western cultures. Hong Kong will continue to present unique tourism experiences by combining culture, art, sports, natural scenery, and large-scale events to meet the needs of travelers with different interests

This year, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office invited Hong Kong's internationally renowned sand painting artist Hai Chao to perform at the Spring Festival reception. He uses sand and exquisite techniques to tell the traditional story of the Lunar New Year, performing a perfect fusion of technology, art, and narrative, leading the audience into a fascinating world of stories.

Finally, Wu Wanjing invited guests to visit Hong Kong to experience the unique aspect of the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures, and to seize the enormous opportunities provided by Asia's world city.

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office and the Hong Kong Tourism Board will also jointly host a Lunar New Year reception in Vancouver on January 28th to celebrate the Chinese New Year with local guests

Easycan Inc. (轻松传媒) Journalist   林风云 / 摄影报道