'Coldplay tour will boost Hong Kong's concert economy'

The tourism industry is expecting Coldplay's concerts next year to give the sector a boost, with hotels likely to benefit as fans flock to the city. The British rock band announced on Thursday that they will hold concerts at Kai Tak Sports Park in April. Speaking to RTHK on Friday, Caspar Tsui, the executive director of the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners, said he expects a surge in demand for hotel rooms around the concert dates. "[The concerts will] possibly attract long-haul travellers from the US, Europe, or any part of Asia. A lot of concertgoers, it's likely that they're going to spend more than one day in Hong Kong. So, that is also going to drive the occupation rate and the occupancy of Hong Kong hotels as well," he explained. Meanwhile, Kenneth Kwong, a marketing professor from Hang Seng University, said the concerts will bring positive momentum to the local economy. "It certainly will attract the tourists from different places of the world to come to visit Hong Kong. I think from the economic perspective, it will help to push up to a certain extent the local economy, because we will have more tourists to come to Hong Kong, to stay in Hong Kong overnight. Perhaps they will spend on retailing, food, and also the hotels," he said. The new 50,000-seat stadium in Kai Tak is expected to open in the first quarter of next year. Kwong said the authorities should conduct a stress test ahead of the Coldplay concerts to make sure everything will go smoothly.