(7 July 2008, Hong Kong) A Business Opinion Survey (BOS) conducted by the Harbour Business Forum (HBF) of 515 business leaders in Hong Kong shows a general consensus that the harbour plays a significant role in maintaining Hong Kong's regional competitiveness (91%) and that it is a symbol of Hong Kong's prosperity and success (90%). The majority of the respondents of the phone survey also considered that the harbour-front should have more green areas (95%). 89% of the business leaders surveyed support no further reclamation.
HBF appointed Nielsen to conduct the BOS in October and November 2007. The BOS follows from a survey of the general public completed in 2006. The BOS's objectives were to explore business leaders' current usage of the harbour; gauge their existing perceptions and satisfaction levels of the harbour and amenities in and around it; explore their expectations regarding the future of the harbour; record their levels of awareness of its various development projects; and determine their current and future involvement in these development projects.
When asked to evaluate the existing features of the harbour, 50% of the business leaders surveyed rated air quality, water quality and the width of the harbour as either poor or very poor. In terms of what the harbour meant to them as individuals, almost half of the respondents see it as a place for leisure and and 65% think that there should be a dedicated agency to coordinate and manage the harbour-front.
Among the ideal features wanted, many favour a promenade walkway or more space along the harbour-front. Better pedestrian access to the harbour at ground level also received high levels of support. Improved ferry and rail links, as opposed to roads, are the preferred future transport initiatives around the harbour. These findings support the Connectivity Study complied by HBF in 2008, which suggested the need for more access to the harbour-front by the public.
For more information, please visit Harbour Business Forum's website.
About the Harbour Business Forum
The Harbour Business Forum (HBF) was formally launched in 2005, due to a concern about development in and around the harbour could have a negative impact upon the future development of Hong Kong. HBF is primarily a research driven think tank with a distinct, if discreet lobbying edge defined by its principles and objectives. These include the creation of an overarching agency for the harbour and the need for any harbour development to have greater access to the harbour.