Club's tourism appeal appreciated by over 10,000 ITE visitors

13 June 2010

Over 10,000 people visited The Hong Kong Jockey Club's booth at the 24th International Travel Expo (ITE) Hong Kong which ended today (13 June).  This was the first time the Club had participated in ITE, giving travel industry representatives the chance to learn more about the Club's world-famous horse racing facilities and events.  With support from well-known local TV host Suzi Wong, the Club also took the opportunity today to promote Hong Kong's proud "can-do" spirit.

Long established among locals as the city's favourite spectator sport, horse racing has also now become an icon of the city's free-wheeling lifestyle and one of its most popular, "must see" tourism attractions.  The Club's booth, designed in the shape of a racetrack, proved highly popular among ITE visitors.

The booth showcased the Club's 125-year history and racing developments, as well as the major contributions it had made to Hong Kong society through its unique, not-for-profit business model, whereby its surpluses go to charitable and community projects.  Many of the visitors, especially those from the Mainland and overseas travel industry representatives, showed great interest in this aspect of the Club's operations.  The Club also received numerous enquiries from the trade about co-operation on travel packages, or about using the world-class facilities at Happy Valley and Sha Tin Racecourses for staging corporate events.  Meanwhile, public visitors were delighted to be welcomed by the Club's equestrian ambassador, a horse mascot.

Today, the Club also took the opportunity to promote Hong Kong's proud "can-do" spirit to overseas and local visitors.  A group of local residents from the Hong Kong Women's Health Ambassador Association and the office of Chung Ka Man demonstrated the ten Hong Kong Can Do Exercise routines.  The Can Do Exercise was designed by well-known wing chun master Ip Chun for the Club's 125th Anniversary programme, as a way of promoting a healthy lifestyle among the public through doing more exercise.

The Club also distributed Hong Kong Can Do Exercise notebooks during the demonstration so that visitors could learn for themselves how to practise the ten routines, which encapsulate messages of positive living.  Another of today's highlights was a "Happy Talk" session by popular local TV host Suzi Wong, who shared travel experiences and stories of positive moments in her life to help the public appreciate how they can face life's challenges and overcome adversity.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become one of Hong Kong's best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city's major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects.  It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city's growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.