'Wine and Dine Fest will give night economy a boost'
The Tourism Board said on Wednesday that it expects next month's Wine and Dine Festival to attract some 140,000 people, and give Hong Kong’s night economy a much-needed boost.  The four-day event will be held at the Central Harbourfront from October 26 to 29, the first time in five years.  There will be 300 booths featuring food and drinks from 36 countries and regions.  Raymond Chan, a general manager with the board, said the event will finish at 11pm on most days to complement the government’s ‘Night Vibes Hong Kong’ campaign.  “If you go in the evening, basically you can have a magnificent view of Central, as well as the harbour,” he said. “According to our past experience, a lot of visitors actually preferred to go in the evening, and it helps to boost the night economy as well.” Asked about a night market in Tsim Sha Tsui recently selling four siu mais for HK$20 and raising eyebrows on social media, Chan said he’s not worried that pricing will affect visitor sentiment.  “We are not selling traditional Hong Kong snacks. We are actually putting some creativity and introducing different kinds offerings, so in terms of pricing, it’s not applicable for comparison,” he said. Tickets and tasting passes will be available online from October 10.