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1. Former antiquities chief reappointed

2. Wheeler

3. Picture of day 11 Jan 05

4. Ritz-Carlton builds up for top-end tourist trade

5. Consultants sought to analyse public views on West Kowloon project

1. Former antiquities chief reappointed
CARRIE CHAN, SCMP 11 January 2005

Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa has filled the post of Antiquities Advisory Board chairman a month after it fell vacant - by appointing the same person. This means architect Edward Ho Sing-tin will fill two roles - as chairman of the antiquities board and of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society.

When Mr Ho was appointed last week to head the society, which had experienced a months-long leadership vacuum, there was a question mark over whether he could continue in the other role.

But Mr Tung has appointed to him for another two-year term at the head of the body that plays an influential part in the government's heritage conservation policy. The government also named the 20 board members, half of them new.

They include Chinese University history professor Kwok Siu-tong, even though he showed zero attendance at a sub-committee of which he was a member.

But University of Hong Kong geography teacher Victor Sit Fung-shuen, who also showed zero attendance, was not on the list.

The board sparked controversy in November when it decided against conserving F Hall of the Central Police Station site after a meeting without a quorum.

It also laid down conservation guidelines for redevelopment of the site.

While critic Ada Wong Ying-kay would not comment on the individuals, she said the government again failed to appoint people from a variety of backgrounds.

"Mr Tung said in his last policy address that he would invite more middle-class professionals into these statutory bodies. Yet, it seems he is far from achieving the aim," she said.

A spokeswoman for the Home Affairs Bureau, which oversees more than 40 statutory bodies and committees, would not elaborate on why Mr Ho was reappointed and why he got two chairmanships.

And the bureau did not elaborate on why some new members who seemed to be unrelated to antiquities were classified as "having the expertise". They include Patrick Fung Pak-tung, a senior counsel, as well as Kwong Hoi-ying, an ATV senior executive.

The post of Arts Development Council chairman, vacant since last month, has still not been filled.

2. Wheeler
SCMP, 11 January 2005

3. Picture of day 11 Jan 05
SCMP, 11 January 2005 Photo: David Wong

Local Creations.

4. Ritz-Carlton builds up for top-end tourist trade
DENISE TSANG, SCMP 11 January 2005

Ritz-Carlton's decision to open its second hotel in Hong Kong will allow it a larger slice of the growing high-end leisure visitor market, says regional vice-president and general manager Mark Lettenbichler.

By 2008 at the latest, a 300-room Ritz-Carlton will receive guests in what will be the world's highest hotel, occupying the upper 13 floors of a 100-storey plus tower to be built by Sun Hung Kai Properties at Kowloon Station.

"Can we have two Ritz-Carlton hotels in each destination? No. But definitely we are in a market which has an increasing number of travellers and they can support that," Mr Lettenbichler said in an interview yesterday.

"West Kowloon will become a new destination to Hong Kong people given infrastructure such as offices, shops, buildings and a possible cultural district adjacent to it."

Mr Lettenbichler, also chairman of the Hong Kong Hotel Association, was more optimistic than the Hong Kong Tourism Board's forecast of the potential growth in visitor numbers.

"The tourism board expects 50 million tourist arrivals by 2020, but I believe we will have that figure before 2020 at the pace we are going," he said, pointing to a forecast of an estimated 10 per cent rise in visitor numbers this year from 21.5 million last year.

The United States-based Ritz-Carlton plan comes against a backdrop of strong competition from new rivals - the 1,000-room Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong and Four Seasons suites at Hong Kong Station and the 113-room Mandarin Oriental hotel in The Landmark - due to open in the third quarter of this year.

Mr Lettenbichler's optimism was underlined by a stronger than anticipated performance of the 216-room Ritz-Carlton hotel in Central, which had an average occupancy of 83.5 per cent last year.

The hotel's average room rate rose between 10 per cent and 15 per cent last year, the first increase in about three years which was in line with the economic recovery, he said.

"This [2005] will be another stellar year. We expect our occupancy will be one to two percentage points higher," he said.

Propelling the growth were mainland tourists after the central government's decision to ease restrictions on foreign travel, he added.

Although most mainland leisure visitors favoured middle-to-budget accommodation, more were expected to spend on higher-end hotels, he said.

"Four years from now, they are going to be more sophisticated travellers and more knowledgeable in five-star hotels," he said. "Look at the Ritz-Carlton in Central. Three years ago 2 per cent of our guests were mainland business travellers, and we are looking at 8 to 9 per cent now. This is a big increase in a few years."

With the growing popularity of the International Finance Centre shopping and entertainment complex at Hong Kong Station, Mr Lettenbichler did not think the centre of the central business district was drifting away to the west.

"One thing happening on Hong Kong Island is it is being rejuvenated. We have seen a lot of renovation at hotels and flagship retail stores, which creates a much more social centre and more of a hub in Central," he said.

To improve its competitiveness, the Ritz-Carlton hotel would have its guest rooms and meeting rooms renovated in the next 18 months, he said.

5. Consultants sought to analyse public views on West Kowloon project
Hong Kong Government, 11 January 2005

The Government today (January 11) invited proposals from five independent academic research institutes for their consultancy services in connection with the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) public consultation exercise.

The successful consultant will conduct telephone polls and analyse public views received during the consultation.

A government spokesman said public opinions were important for the WKCD project. "We believe that engaging an independent academic research institute will enhance the credibility of the analysis and raise public confidence in the consultation exercise.

"The expertise and experience of the research team will be useful in analysing public views collected from different sources," the spokesman said.

The consultant will be required to conduct three random telephone polls to triangulate different public views collected from various channels. These polls will be conducted during the public consultation period.

The consultant will be tasked with analysing all views received during the public consultation exercise. These should include views received from the comment cards, discussion forums, meetings with statutory and advisory bodies including the Legislative Council and District Councils, written submissions, and the telephone polls.

"Consideration will be given to factors like the expertise, experience and strength of the consulting team, fee level proposed and methodology to be used.

"We aim to announce the successful consultant in about a month's time. The successful consultant is expected to deliver the report to the Government within a month of the end of the public consultation," the spokesman said.