| Abstract | After months of wrangling, Chinese and British officials finally agreed in early October 1996 to a joint handover ceremony. That, together with a range of other commemorative activities, almost certainly guarantees that Hong Kong's 1997 handover will be an affair to remember. Average occupancy of Hong Kong's 30,000 hotel rooms already runs at about 90%. According to Lo Yuk Sui, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourist Association, the territory can expect an 8% rise in visitors in 1997 over the 11.8 million expected in 1996. On hand to record the proceedings will be some 6,000 journalists from around the world for the return. Besides political and business bigwigs, the ceremony will feature world-class entertainers. Total expenses relating to handover activities are estimated at $65 million. |
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