Hong Kong Tourism Board has looked to the ranks of fellow government agencies to bring back Anthony Lau as its top executive to succeed Dane Cheng.
Lau became director of the Hong Kong Talent Engage Office in October 2023 after previously serving as HKTB executive director from 2007 to 2019. The Talent Engage Office is a government body under the Labour and Welfare Bureau tasked with attracting global talent to the city.
Cheng, who formerly held senior roles with Cathay Pacific, served as HKTB executive director since 2019 and served two three-year terms in the role. Lau officially takes up the HKTB role on August 4.
During Lau’s earlier tenure with HKTB, he led the board through a period of strategic expansion and strengthened partnerships across the tourism sector.
Lau’s return marks a shift back to a civil service background for the HKTB’s top leadership. Lau was the first civil servant to be appointed to the role since the board’s establishment as a statutory body in 2001.
Outgoing executive director Cheng joined HKTB from the private sector, having previously been marketing chief with Cathay Pacific. Cheng guided the board through the Covid-19 pandemic, launching local campaigns such as “Holiday at Home” and later leading global promotions including “Hello Hong Kong” to support the city’s tourism recovery.
Clara Chong, HKTB’s first executive director, also came from the private sector. She served from 2001 to 2006, following a career in marketing and financial services. Internet governance expert and entrepreneur Pindar Wong served in the role in an interim capacity in 2006
HKTB chairman Peter Lam thanked Cheng for his six years of service, noting his contributions to the tourism sector’s resilience and recovery. Lam welcomed Lau’s return, citing his experience and leadership as key to advancing the government’s Tourism Industry Development Blueprint 2.0.
“On behalf of HKTB, I thank Mr Cheng for his dedicated service over the past six years. Under Mr Cheng’s leadership, HKTB has risen above the challenges of the global pandemic and driven the steady recovery of tourism, contributing greatly to the development of Hong Kong’s tourism industry,” Lam said.
Backgrounder… Dane Cheng to step down from HKTB
The Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 was issued by the Hong Kong SAR Government in December 2024. It outlines a strategic framework to guide the city’s tourism development over the coming year
“Mr Lau brings with him extensive experience in tourism and marketing, along with excellent leadership and governance capabilities, making him an ideal candidate for the role of Executive Director,” Lam added.
“I have confidence in Mr Lau that he will lead the HKTB team in close collaboration with the industry and various stakeholders to bring the tourism industry to new heights in the direction mapped out in the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0, consolidate Hong Kong’s reputation as a world-class tourism destination with diverse experiences, and maximise the contribution of the tourism industry to Hong Kong.”
