Horse racing in Hong Kong is well ahead both as a sport and attraction for tourists. Racing organisers are now spurring on the city with news that the sector is set to collect again on its global reputation for equine excellence that has outpaced most similar operations overseas.
Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said its reputation as a “world-class sport” and the provision of complementary entertainment had given horse racing a solid place among the city’s “biggest tourist attractions”.
Engelbrecht-Bresges believes the number of people travelling to Hong Kong from the mainland for the racing experience could double by 2030. The sector stands to extend its lead by pursuing plans to develop facilities to accommodate families, thereby opening up “significant growth potential”.
Optimism in the city and on the mainland over another economic windfall has grown amid plans to attract families with young children to racecourses in Sha Tin and Happy Valley, and strengthen links with the club’s new facility over the border, where racing is planned to start in two years’ time.
The club’s HK$7.5 billion (US$963.4 million) project at Sha Tin includes a new arrivals hall, separate grandstand for families and digital experiences for the social media generation. Some have raised concerns about the social impact of gambling, and debate on this both in the community and racing sector has been welcomed.
