Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau

The CSTB oversees a wide portfolio that includes the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Tourism Commission, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Sports Commission, and the Hong Kong Sports Institute. It also supervises the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, among other cultural bodies. The bureau is led by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, a position first held by Kevin Yeung, who previously served as Secretary for Home Affairs.¹

The bureau has driven major projects such as the development of the Kai Tak Sports Park, a 28-hectare sports complex slated to open in 2025, and the revitalisation of the Central Harbourfront. It also launched the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund to attract large-scale cultural events to Hong Kong, and the Cultural and Heritage Sites Local Tour Incentive Scheme to boost tourism.² In 2023, the bureau published the first Hong Kong Culture and Arts Development Blueprint, outlining long-term strategies for cultural development.

The CSTB also oversees the Hong Kong Film Development Council and the Film Development Fund, which have supported over 100 film projects since 2007. It manages the Revitalisation of Historic Buildings Scheme, which has converted heritage sites like the Tai Fu Tai Mansion into community uses.³ A less-publicised duty is the regulation of the city's museums, including the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Hong Kong Science Museum, which are run by the LCSD. The bureau also coordinates the annual Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Hong Kong International Film Festival, though these are independently organised.⁴

The bureau faces the challenge of balancing cultural preservation with urban development, as seen in debates over the demolition of the Star Ferry Pier in 2006 and the current redevelopment of the Central Market. It also works to revive tourism post-pandemic, with a target of attracting 50 million visitors annually by 2025.⁵ The CSTB's role in promoting Hong Kong as a cultural hub is central to the national 14th Five-Year Plan, which designates the city as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

LCSD

Leisure and Cultural Services Department, a government department providing recreational and cultural services.

Kai Tak Sports Park

A major sports complex under construction in Hong Kong, expected to open in 2025.

West Kowloon Cultural District

A large cultural district in Hong Kong housing museums, theatres, and performance venues.