Hong Kong authorities have turned down suggestions to set up a mechanism to fund private museums, but pledged to continue supporting them through promotions and favourable land policies.
Undersecretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Raistlin Lau Chun said on Wednesday that the government must consider resource allocation to avoid placing undue financial strain on public funds when helping private museums.
“Due to differences in the history, themes, scale, operational models and financial situations of each museum, the government currently has no plans to establish a standard mechanism to support the operation of private museums,” Lau said, responding to lawmaker Ma Fung-kwok’s inquiry at the Legislative Council.
“However, we will consider aligning with government policy goals, societal expectations and the specific circumstances of individual museums to provide various forms of support for the operation of individual private museums, subject to resource availability.”
The Post earlier reported that Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo would visit Hong Kong next year to attend the opening of a pop-up museum set to operate from June 2025 to May 2026 to feature his achievements.
Legislator Ngan Man-yu asked how authorities planned to capitalise on that opportunity to boost the city’s tourism sector.