Can the region learn from Hong Kong about cultural and entertainment development?

AME Info visited Hong Kong for the Entertainment Expo at the invitation of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to compare and contrast progress with the Middle East where oil-rich governments are also beginning to diversify into cultural and entertainment development.

To start with the huge Entertainment Expo: This is a combination of eight different events ranging from the first-ever Asia Film Awards ceremony to the Hong Kong Music Fair and Hong Kong International Film Festival, with separate events for digital media and film financing.

Small beginnings

The lesson for the Middle East is clear: You can develop a smaller event like the Dubai International Film Festival into a huge Entertainment Expo given time and resources.

Hong Kong has also built up a strong presence in fine arts on the back of its city art gallery and museums. And the recent international art exhibition sponsored by the Dubai International Financial Centre at the Madinat Jumeirah is one step in this direction.

Perhaps more spectacular still are Abu Dhabi's recent deals with the Louvre and Guggenheim to create local museums; and Qatar's commitment to build several major museums, one focused on Islamic art.

As ever Hong Kong has managed to keep its interest mainly commercial and government subsidies for the arts have spurred the private sector to create a thriving business in fine art promoted by this public largesse.

Disneyland investment

Hong Kong has also invested public money in subsidizing Disneyland Hong Kong. Attendance figures are not yet being published, and there have been staffing problems, but local analysts say that theme parks should be considered as a long-term infrastructure investment.

One error, they say, has been to build the world's smallest Disneyland in Hong Kong. That has encouraged a belief that the Tokyo Disneyland offers a better experience, and has not been good for publicity.

This is not a mistake that Dubai is about to make with its huge Dubailand theme park, now under construction which includes a sports city, life-sized dinosaurs and many other attractions on an area of land bigger than metropolitan Dubai. Qatar has also announced a smaller theme park project, and Abu Dhabi's Yas Island will have an entertainment element with the Ferrari involvement.

However, what Hong Kong government officials were only too pleased to confirm is that investment in the Entertainment Expo, museums and the arts and Disneyland have increased tourist and business visitor numbers and helped to diversify the local economy in unexpected ways.

For visitors need something to do when they arrive in any destination. And the more you give them to do to occupy their time then the longer they will stay.