Hong Kong has a population of 7 million people, of which
almost 95% are Chinese. The official languages are Chinese
and English, with Cantonese being the most widely spoken
Chinese dialect. All major signages are in Chinese or bilingual.
English is widely spoken in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate with seasonal changes.
May is one of the best months to visit Hong Kong., when
the temperatures are pleasant at 22˘XC to 27˘XC. For the most
updated information, please visit the website of Hong Kong
Observatory at www.hko.gov.hk
.
The local time in Hong Kong is GMT + 8.
Visitors must hold a valid passport. Hong Kong has a liberal
visa policy, allowing a 90-day visa-free stay upon entry to
Hong Kong to nationals of more than 170 countries and territories.
For country-specific visa information, please visit www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm.
For delegates from countries for which visas are required
for entry to Hong Kong, please submit the application either
to:
| i/ |
Chinese diplomatic and consular
mission nearest to the applicants' place
of domicile; or |
| ii/ |
HKSAR Immigration Department ˇVDelegates
may approach the Conference Organizer, International
Conference Consultants, Limited, for the issue of
a Letter of Reference. Together with the Letter
of Reference, delegates may submit the applications,
using the form downloaded from the link below, direct
to the Immigration Department by post to:
Immigration Department,
The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region,
Employment and Visit Visas Section
24/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
.
In normal circumstances, processing of an application
for a visit visa will be finalized with four weeks
after the receipt of all necessary documents. To
ensure sufficient time for processing, delegates
are advised to submit their applications early.
|
Visa / Entry Permit Application Form : http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/id(e)936.htm
Guidance Notes: http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/id(e)937.htm
International Conference Consultants, Limited may be contacted
at:
Unit 301, The Centre Mark, 287-299 Queen's Road Central,
Hong Kong
| Tel: |
(852) 2559 9973 |
| Fax: |
(852) 2547 9528 |
| E-mail: |
|
For delegates traveling to other cities in Mainland China
and Macau SAR, a separate entry visa may be required. Please
check with and obtain your visa from the Chinese Embassy
or Consulate in your country in advance.
Vaccination certificates are usually not required. Check
with your health authority as requirements can change without
notice.
With effect from 1 January 2007, statutory no smoking areas
in Hong Kong have been extended to cover the indoor areas
of all restaurant premises, indoor workplaces, public indoor
places, and some public outdoor places in accordance with
the amended Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371).
No person shall smoke or carry a lighted cigarette, cigar,
or pipe in no smoking areas. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition
Centre is also one of the smoke-free premises.
Hong Kong is generally considered a safe city by day or
night. However, avoid carrying large amounts of cash and
make use of your hotel safe for valuables.
The local currency is Hong Kong dollar (HK$), which is pegged
to the US dollar at the rate of US$1 = HK$7.8. Most foreign
currencies and traveler's cheques are easily exchanged in
Hong Kong at banks, hotels or moneychangers with some handling
charges. There are no restrictions on currencies being brought
in or taken out of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong dollar notes are available in $10, $20, $50,
$100, $500 and $1,000 denominations. Coins come in 10 cents,
20 cents, 50 cents, $1, $2, $5 and $10 denominations.
Major credit cards are accepted in Hong Kong. Check with
your credit card provider if additional charges are imposed
on credit card payment. It can be used to obtain cash advances
at banks and ATMs, which are found almost everywhere and
provide 24-hour cash withdrawal (HK$).
Hong Kong is so compact, getting around is quite easy. Fleets
of taxis, buses, trams, ferries, complemented by the excellent
Mass Transit Railway (MTR) underground system, will enable
participants to travel between their hotels and other areas
in the city, safely and conveniently.
Local calls from public coin phones cost HK$1 per five minutes.
Most hotels have International Direct Dialing (IDD), but
may charge an extra fee for local and/or IDD calls. Stored
value phone cards that allow you to make calls on public
card phones are available at the Information Counter of
the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
Tourism Board Information and Gift Centres and most convenience
stores. The normal prefix for making overseas calls is "001"
but the exact prefix varies with different phone cards.
The country code for Hong Kong is "852".
Internet access is available in most hotels. There are
also free Internet access at many coffee shops, large shopping
malls, major MTR stations and public libraries in town.
Wireless Broadband service is common at major shopping malls
and coffee shops for laptops.
Local voltage is 220V at 50Hz. Transformers are required
for electrical appliances using 110V. The plug/socket system
is a 3 pin rectangular type. Both transformers and adaptors
may be provided by the hotel, or can easily be bought in
Hong Kong.
Tap water meets the standard of the United Nations World
Health Organization. Bottled water is widely available in
hotels, supermarkets and convenience stores.
Generally, most commercial offices and government departments
are open from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays. Some may also open
on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm. Lunch hour is usually between
1 pm to 2 pm. Major banks are open from 9 am to 4:30 pm
on weekdays only. Most shops and department stores are open
daily from 10 am to 9 pm, while 24-hour convenience shops
are located all over the city.
Post Offices operate from 9 am to 5 pm on Monday to Friday,
and 9 am to 1 pm on Saturdays. Stamp vending machines are
available at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
and major hotels.
There is no sales tax on goods and services in Hong Kong.
Most restaurants add a service charge of 10% to their bill.
Taxi drivers tend to round up the fare to the nearest Hong
Kong dollar.
Hong Kong has an excellent health care system, and both
government and private facilities are widely available.
Many hotels have a doctor on call 24 hours for emergency
treatment.
The Organizer does not accept responsibility for any individual,
medical, travel or personal insurance. You are advised to
secure your own insurance policies as necessary.
Hong Kong International Airport, operating 24 hours a day,
is situated at Chek Lap Kok on Lantau Island. It is the
major gateway to Mainland China and the transport hub of
Asia, being directly accessible from more than 100 cities
worldwide. It is regularly voted as one of the best airports
all over the world. The airport features a comprehensive
range of facilities and services for the tourists and business
travelers. For more information about the Hong Kong International
Airport, please visit www.hongkongairport.com.
Airlines and Flight Schedule
You may check out the information on airlines providing
regular service to and from Hong Kong here
For a complete and latest flight schedule, please click
here
There are several transport options for getting into the
city.
To and From the Airport
Airport Express
 It
is a very convenient and fast mode of transport to and from
the Central District. This high-speed rail service takes
passengers from the airport to Hong Kong Station in Central
in only 23 minutes. The 1-month round trip ticket for adult
costs HK$180 (US$23) and one way is HK$100 (US$13). Trains
run every 10 minutes from 5:50 am to 1:15 am daily. FREE
shuttle-bus services are available for connection to most
of the hotels at the Hong Kong Station from 6:10 am to 11:00
pm.
Hotel Link shuttle buses
 They
are available at the Ground Transportation Centre Limousine
Waiting Lounge. If you have a hotel booking which includes
airport transfer, the Hong Kong Hotel Association Hotel
Reservation Centre can be found inside the Buffer Hall immediately
after the Customs area, or look for the Hotel Pick-up Counters
in the Meeters & Greeters Hall. If you have not organized
transportation, Hotel Pick-up Counter staff can advise and
direct you to the transportation of your choice. It runs
every 30 minutes to and from airport and the fares are:
from Airport to Hotel: HK$140
from Hotel to Airport: HK$100
Taxis
 Taxis
operate to almost anywhere in Hong Kong. Rate starts at
HK$18.00 (US$2.3) on flag fall plus HK$1.50 (US$0.2) every
200 metres thereafter. Taxis only accept HK dollars. Passengers
only pay the fare shown on the meter plus any additional
charges when applicable (e.g. luggage, tunnel tolls). Hong
Kong Island passengers pay the two-way Cross-Harbour tunnel
toll. All passengers pay an extra fee per piece of luggage
(charges displayed in taxi). A typical journey from the
airport to the Central costs about HK$330 (US$42) and the
fare to Tsim Sha Tsui is HK$270 (US$35).
Airport Departure Tax
The Air Passenger Departure Tax in Hong Kong is currently
HK$120 for persons aged 12 and above, which is normally
collected upon issue of tickets. Children under 12 years
old are exempted.
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Population and Language