​Subsequent to the visit by the Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), Ms Alpha Lau, to Seoul, Korea, last week (February 20 and 21) to promote Hong Kong’s business advantages, a delegation of Korean food and beverage companies visited Hong Kong from February 25 to 27 to explore business opportunities in the city. InvestHK and its Korean office, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo) and Korea Franchise Association, co-organised a three-day business delegation trip. The visit facilitated exchanges between the Korean and local food and beverage (F&B) companies, further promoting business opportunities in Hong Kong’s F&B industry.
On the first day of the trip, the Head of Tourism and Hospitality at InvestHK, Ms Sindy Wong, shared Hong Kong’s business advantages and the local F&B market landscape with the delegation, helping companies gain a deeper understanding of the city’s business environment. The event featured a series of themed seminars, networking sessions and business matching opportunities with local restaurant operators. The seminars included case studies and insights into the retail property market. Additionally, the delegates visited Tai Kwun, Soho, and Tsim Sha Tsui to gain first-hand insights into the latest developments in Hong Kong’s F&B and retail property scene. These visits also provided an opportunity for them to explore the potential for Korean specialty cuisine to enter and thrive in the local market.
“Hong Kong and Korea have for a long time enjoyed strong ties across many areas, including trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchanges. We are a city of culinary delights, with over 17 000 places for food, including 79 Michelin-star restaurants, six of Asia’s 50 best restaurants, and nine of Asia’s 50 best bars,” said Ms Lau. At the welcome dinner on the first day of the trip, Ms Lau warmly welcomed the Korean business delegation and said, “We hope the delegation finds the programme useful and makes great business connections, and also new friends, on this trip. We are confident that they will find partners to establish their restaurants here and join our exciting F&B scene in the near future.”
​Seeing that the visit concluded successfully with a fruitful outcome, the Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative (Tokyo), Miss Winsome Au, stated, “Our office is pleased to drive this first Korean business delegation mission to Hong Kong. Indeed, Korean cuisine is garnering increasing attention in Hong Kong, thanks to the global popularity of K-culture. Our office will continue our efforts in supporting this joint initiative of promoting mutual understanding between Hong Kong and Korean companies, and we hope that these efforts will lead to more investment and collaboration in various fields.”
The Chief Executive Officer of PSP F&D Co Ltd, Mr Park Sangyoung, stated, “The vibrant dining atmosphere in Hong Kong makes it an ideal platform to showcase Korean culinary culture. We are very optimistic about the market prospects. This event has given us the opportunity to share Korea’s diverse food culture and also helped us build valuable partnerships with Hong Kong’s F&B industry. This will serve as a solid foundation for our future expansion into Hong Kong and the wider Asian market.”
The Chief Executive Officer of ALL F&B Co Ltd, Mr Bang Kyoungseok, added, “Hong Kong consumers’ passion for Korean cuisine, along with their high standards for food quality, perfectly aligns with our brand philosophy. We understand more about the Hong Kong market through this event and will start planning our development here. We look forward to bringing the most authentic Korean dining experience to Hong Kong.”
The Chief Operating Officer of LUBUDS, Ms Berfa Chow, said, “Netflix’s Korean cuisine reality show ‘Culinary Class Wars’ has become globally famous, further boosting the popularity of Korean cuisine in Hong Kong’s dining scene. We are thrilled for the opportunity to explore collaboration with several renowned Korean restaurant groups. Combining their expertise with our in-depth local market knowledge, we are confident in delivering more top-notch, authentic Korean dining experiences to Hong Kong consumers while seizing this exciting market opportunity.”
The Vice Chairman of Fulum Group Holdings Limited, Professor Keith Wu, stated, “From K-dramas and K-pop to Korean cuisine, Korean culture is going viral and young consumers show a strong appetite for authentic Korean dining. We are excited to explore collaborations with well-known Korean restaurant brands, aiming to strategically enhance our offerings with more Korean elements and further enrich our brand portfolio.”
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