Cultural Events in Hong Kong: The Involvement of the Government

Abstract

A cultural and art event or festival celebrates societies related to a specific place or people. Hong Kong is considered a unique cultural position; it combines the traditional culture of China and the West simultaneously. Due to its colonial history, Hong Kong people appear to be simultaneously influenced by Western and Eastern cultures. The research aims to check the government’s involvement in cultural events in Hong Kong. At the same time, considerable attention is also devoted to cultural events that have occurred worldwide. Therefore, the study also aspires to analyze the authorities’ involvement in cultural events conducted beyond Hong Kong.

Cultural events can have multiple practical benefits for the people, for instance, for the students. Participating in such events makes students more passionate and confident about their culture. These events also help foster team spirit and a strong sense of responsibility among the students. The researcher collected qualitative data from primary sources, meaning that interviews were conducted with eight respondents. The respondents’ responses were analysed using thematic analysis, where several themes were constructed. A discussion of the data was then held, and the level of involvement of the Hong Kong government and authorities around the world in cultural events was ascertained.

Introduction

A cultural and art event or festival refers to a celebration of societies related to a specific place or people observed by Zhang et al. (2019). Currently, Hosagrahar et al. (2016) noticed that culture is on the agenda of cities, territories, and regions. The technological dimension of culture is emphasised more through the global or international perspective. The local perspective has reminded that culture matters first as social capital. Every month a large number of cultural and art events hosts by Hong Kong. HKTB has bundled a range of cultural events and art landmarks in Hong Kong to promote visitors and international media (Hong Kong arts month, 2022). Every May is an eventful month as extravaganzas for the art, and the traditional city celebration join together. International tourists visit Hong Kong for various events in the city every year. Art Basel and The Cheung Chau Bun Festival possibly refer to the significant events during this period. (Duangdee and Sirikulchayanont, 2019).

Hong Kong’s government categorises cultural and art development within the same policies. It cultivates art development organisations and provides financial assistance. Such as the association of the Hong Kong Arts Festival(HKAF) has been rooted in Hong Kong for 50 years. According to Gov.hk. (2022), HKAF refers to a major international arts festival and seems to be committed to enriching the city’s cultural life by presenting leading local and international artists within all genres of the performing arts. The celebrations have given the top international artists across multiple genres such as music opera, Chinese opera, and ballet for breaking the dance and experimental theatre. Moreover, according to Lam (2016), the Arts and Sports Development Fund (ASDF), considered a sub-fund for Recreation, seems to be deployed in endorsing the development of arts, culture, and sports.

As a facilitator, the government of Hong Kong seems to be committed to upholding the freedom of cultural and artistic creation and expression. However, the government has provided an environment that supports the development of culture and arts. The government, along with its partners, has been enhancing the cultural software of Hong Kong by using a multi-pronged approach, such as the development of cultural programs, promotion of arts education and nurturing of the workforce, etc. On top of capital workings, HK$400 million is spent by the government on the arts and culture annually (Ho, 2017). Cultural festivals are the most effective way for communities to express themselves culturally. Festivals also have a monetary value in the communities where they are hosted.

As a result, they represent an essential economic activity for the host communities’ economic development. Arts and culture festivals, as financial endeavors, provide employment and commercial possibilities in the host communities through their inherent value chain. Hong Kong festivals are often lavish with street parades, packed temples, and performing art (Dance, Music, Drama). Leisure and Cultural Services Department(LCSD) present: The seventh edition of the cultural festivals in Hong Kong returns in November 2021, observed by Hong Kong Culture Festival (2022). Forces have also joined with the organisations of culture plus local communities to present a collection of programs throughout the celebration of the cultural heritage of Hong Kong. Moreover, the city’s destination authorities have also made widespread use of cultural festivals as a medium to attract cultural tourists and add vitality to the scene of local culture.

Meanwhile, it is essential to mention the cultural events outside Hong Kong. Carnival in Rio attracts more than half a million visitors each year from all over the world and is considered the biggest carnival in Brazil. Venice has spent €1,300,000 on the carnival in recent years (Dittmer & Bos, 2019, p. 43). More than half of this amount is offset by sponsors and ticket revenues from gala dinners and parties in the palaces. Spain’s festivals are unique and incredible events not found elsewhere. It is also possible to note the Tomatina; it has long been one of Spain’s most visited and fun holidays (Dittmer & Bos, 2019). The public authorities sponsor the importation of vegetables and organize street security. Thus, the authorities are involved to a certain degree in organizing festivals and other events worldwide.

Problem Statement

According to Kim et al. (2018), events play an essential role in a country’s difference and good image. However, Ojo (2021) observed that events are crucial for maintaining a society. There are countless social, economic, and religious festivals and cultural events throughout the world. The Hong Kong government has contributed precious little to maintaining the city’s unique culture, through which its originality and heritage are lost. At the same time, for example, in Brazil and Spain, festivals also reflect the people’s cultural traditions. However, the authorities do not assume full responsibility for their organization. However, there are few studies on the impact of events on tourist attitudes toward a destination or outcomes such as satisfaction, repeat visits, or others. The local and national governments much need the adaption of creativities for the promotion of events over a global and local scale to improve the image, political situation, and economic development of the city noticed by Lau & Li (2015). Hence, the study was conducted to understand further the importance of cultural events and the government’s roles in planning cultural events.

Research Aims and Objectives

The research aims to check the involvement of the government in cultural events in Hong Kong. To reach the aim, the following objectives are conducted:

• To understand the importance of cultural and art events for Hong Kong city
• To explore the government’s plans for the growth of local cultural and art events.
• To identify an efficient way of planning an event that has an impact on Hong Kong’s socioeconomic and environmental conditions.
• To focus attention on important cultural events in the world.
• Identify government involvement in the organization of festivals and other events in the world.
• To provide recommendations for the improvement of government policies in cultural and art events.

Research Questions

In order to accomplish each objective, following questions will going to be answered throughout the study for providing a route through the research:

• What is the importance of cultural and artevents in the city of Hong Kong?
• What is the significance of cultural and artistic events in Hong Kong City, Bunyol and Rio de Janeiro?
• How socioeconomic and environmental conditions of Hong Kong impacted through the planning of an event?
• What would be the recommended strategies towards the improvement in current government policies for cultural and artevents?

Rationale of Study

According to Pirnar et al. (2019), festivals seem to be universally crucial for social and cultural roles, and increasingly they have been encouraged as the attractions of tourists. The cultural identities represented by the cultural festivals have served as a career of national emotions. The challenges for the organizers and attendees of festivals are presented by evaluating sustainability related to cultural festival tourism. Amazon (2022) observed that the government’s contribution to the events industry results in the benefits of society as a whole or for the targeted groups involved in it. As the policy of culture has been assigned the role of promoting cultural activities, the procedure started to focus on areas that seem difficult for the market to sustain. However, the effectiveness of state cultural policy varies depending on the type of events, especially the authorities providing the organization, facilitation, and support of community events by providing facilities, funding, or others. According to De Salvo et al. (2017), governments play an essential role in the protection of health, safety, and happiness of Hong Kong and whereas helpful for the support towards the safe and secure delivery of the events.

Moreover, Learning to Give (2022) noticed that festivals throughout the public sector as well as non-profits, along with deep funding and support through the local authorities, involvement of government exists as one of the matters related to the legal or political necessity. Any did not convince a stakeholder of the respondents to assume all of the financial risks associated with the festivals. However, in such cases of publicly possessed principles, that has been a debatable point since the holding of responsibility by the government.

Literature Review

Introduction

Hong Kong’s culture is a mixture of Southeast Chinese traditions and Western culture. The natives of Hong Kong appear to be extremely proud and confident in the achievements of their culture (Wu et al., 2022). They want to preserve the old Chinese customs of their culture and the integrity of their colonial heritage. It is essential to understand their culture and develop an interest in their history, civilization, customs, food, and practices related to business and religion (Hinsbergh, 2020). The Hong Kong government encourages creative freedom in culture, provides opportunities for participation, and promotes artistic excellence (Ho and Lous, 2017). It is significant to note that Brazil is a country with an extraordinarily extensive and diverse culture, bringing together the traditions of immigrants from all parts of the planet. This cultural mixing ensures that there is a huge variety of dances in Brazil. All the cultural trends in Spain reflect the passionate nature of its inhabitants (Dittmer & Bos, 2019). European and Mediterranean cultures have blended together to make Spain one of the richest countries in terms of culture.

Importance of Cultural and Art Events

It is important to note that cultural events bring citizens together and contribute to the development of cities. In Brazil, the carnival in Rio de Janeiro, in Spain the Tomatina festival and various festivals and holidays in Hong Kong contribute to the social and cultural enrichment of residents and tourists. Meanwhile, they enrich local city budgets through the development of tourism (Richards, 2020). Tan & Ibrahim (2017) noticed that as human beings, social interactions with fellow beings are not only a source of happiness but its growth of capacity for the purpose of learning languages and familiarizing with the cultures.

According to Yusuf et al. (2020), Cultural Events are one of the expressive ways the celebrations of glorious heritage, traditions and culture are considered as a route of rejoicing superior moments and emotions throughout the lives with loved ones. However, Yuan (2016) observed that events play a vital role in adding up the structure towards the social lives through the connection with families plus backgrounds as in today’s stressful planet, happiness seems to be outshined through the negativity, and the need for positivity felt timely. Cultural events substitute a kind of respect and open-mindedness for most countries as the celebration of differences and common interests unite and educate the children about religious and cultural festivals through the framework of family experiences.

Culturalevents seems to be gradually becoming stadia of discourse through which people has been enabled to view on wider cultural, political and social issues. Apart from fun, an offering of social and economic benefits towards the communities also exists from the well management of events was observed by Brownett (2018) which includes an increase in expenditures, creation of employment as well as increase in the standard of living plus the awareness of area. However, the act of cultural events accumulate and transmit the human experience by shaping the working ways of the people through a difference in the viewing ways of themselves and others as well.

Cultural events can have multiple practical benefits for the people as well. The mass cultural and spectacular events, as a part of the tourist industry, have considerable economic potential for the development of the cities in which they occur (Nadotti & Vannoni, 2019). Appropriate organization of such activities enables to attract new tourist flows to the areas, and with them the money that remains in these regions. There are many options and techniques for organizing mass cultural and entertainment events in different countries. Such activities enhance the competitiveness of countries, which causes them to develop more quickly (Nadotti & Vannoni, 2019). The most obvious benefit of tourism is an expansion of jobs in hotels, restaurants, and retail businesses. The second, less visible advantage is the support of individual industries and professions (Nadotti & Vannoni, 2019). At the same time, the organization of cultural events not only creates more jobs and improves the economic situation of regions, but also contributes to spreading a positive political image of the state.

Government Role in Cultural and Art Events

According to Macrae (2016) the specific obligations for several people as well as agencies, the safety of event is considered as a major responsibility that should be focused by the event organizers, government and public. Mitchell et al. (2016) observed that the structures of effective governance and event planning helps in order to ensure about such situation. However, festivals and events seems to be outsourced by the governments towards the nonprofitorganizations and for the profit companies for the purpose of shedding their risks or at least subtle it was observed by Sasse et al. (2019). Government holds the duty of care for working along with other agencies plus with the event organizers for the purpose of ensuring about the appropriate practices of risk management to be in the place of events where they may face any impact.

The Brazilian and Spanish authorities devote considerable attention to the development of culture, especially the internationally famous festivals. The departments of culture assist in the organization of events and ensure public order (Fernández-Tabales et al., 2017). For example, during tomato battles and dances in the streets, special control is required to ensure the basic rights of the population. At the same time, in Spain, city authorities facilitate the prompt delivery of tomatoes and involve doctors, police and other services to ensure order. After the celebration, the state budget receives about 18 million euros annually from the event (Fernández-Tabales et al., 2017, p. 1276). Similarly, in Brazil, authorities involve law enforcement and medics to patrol the streets during the Rio de Janeiro Carnival. Local and state authorities provide rehearsal facilities and financial support.

According to Wang (2018) the government of Hong Kong is well known by its efficiency, transparency as well as fairness. A proactive approach has also been taken by the government of Hong Kong plus to remove the restrictions of market and the promotion of every event throughout the region. However, according to Hemingway &Gunawan (2018) event organizers have also been ensured by the government about the understanding and preparation for the management of risk as well as hazards linked with the planning and delivery of events. Further, the government might be able for providing the direction, setting of expectations as well as offering guidance for the events that use public spaces. When government becomes the owner and organizer of an event, they holds the primary responsibility for the safety and security of the event.

The government should accentuate the intrinsic value and also the social and economic values of arts and cultures. The lower tiers of government would be the most important in organizing such events and promoting the value of cultural festivals. Furthermore, the government has the responsibility to market its culture to the foreigners to encourage them to visit their country and experience their culture (Luo & Chui, 2016). This can be mainly done via the media platforms where specific documentaries can be used by the local authorities to demonstrate their culture. Moreover, the government can collaborate with other foreign governments to hold talks regarding organizing such events at foreign territories. This encourages the students and other local community members to participate in these festivals and get a chance to know the culture of the other countries as well.

Government’s Plan for The Local Cultural and Art Events Growth

The culture of Hong Kong has gained much attention in fewer decades and multiple cultures from different regions of the world as well as traditions of Chinese customs have immensely indulged in the culture of Hong Kong and declared an international culture. In Brazil and Spain, culture is also especially significant in forming an international image. Thus, governments have decided to develop culture and implement it in the public interest. In addition to each cultural event’s new level of creativity, government agencies work to promote investment and social cohesion. These activities will all contribute to transforming Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and Bunyol into centers of new cultures capable of accommodating people of all backgrounds (Chan, 2018).

State governments and city leaders implement basic policies, which are as follows. First, government plans encourage aspiring residents to participate in cultural events in various roles, such as developing their talents and businesses or building intercultural connections (Nadotti & Vannoni, 2019). At the same time, government agencies in cities where cultural events occur create favorable conditions for them to appear. For example, they allocate significant investments to improve roads and infrastructures or provide local life with additional financial resources to support their local businesses. In the case of the carnival in Rio de Janeiro, such contributions facilitate the filling of the state budget and urban enhancement (Nadotti & Vannoni, 2019). It is significant to observe that government bodies affected by cultural policy offer innovative ideas to preserve the state’s traditions and, at the same time, develop in the cultural sphere.

This significantly affects the stable development of cities and, at the same time, the influx of new sources of investment, residents, and improved living standards (Morris, 2015). Therefore, all these activities will assist in transforming Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and Bunyol into a center of new cultures. It is noteworthy to emphasize that the government promotes the organization of cultural events to provide a better criterion of living for the individuals. Therefore, government agencies plans also include the social and environmental spheres (Luo & Chui, 2016). Festivals, carnivals, and celebrations aim to improve social equality, protection, and abundance of citizens.

Impact of cultural and Art Events on Socioeconomic and Environment Conditions

From the beginning of the world, people from all backgrounds set a schedule for celebrating events and occasions. They made it a priority and began to prepare for specific events long in advance and dressed according to the event’s theme. These include carnivals, parades, and festivals, which serve as sources of joy and provide excitement and new ways of expressing feelings and emotions (Boden et al., 2017). Many scholars have noticed that traditional customs and festivals have lost their charm and significance in the chaos of the modern world. That is because people have turned their lives into machines and cannot escape from the hectic routine and enjoy the attractions of the modern world. Along with these benefits, festivals retain tremendous importance for the country because they have a profound and long-lasting effect on society and the country’s economy (de Valck et al., 2016).

The event generally functions as a bridge between people and places and leaves individuals with traces of memories, and enhances the value of a place intended to celebrate a particular holiday. This event presents an opportunity to connect with new personalities. It promotes a friendly atmosphere between people of different cultures, understanding each other’s cultures and enjoying the flavor of various customs. Using a place to celebrate is a symbolic sign of a place, attracts tourists to visit, and inspires with its attraction (Finkel & Platt, 2020).

Cultural and art events usually help promote the value of place as well as develop regional values in several ways, such as helping to support the economy by serving as a source of attracting tourism which strengthens the local business market and has an impact on social standards (Getz et al., 2017). Tourists from other countries visiting the destination to celebrate festivals significantly affect the economy in the short term. They waste their money on regional goods to support fast business and, in the long run, growing job creation opportunities, such as the need for guides to provide better management (Lundberg et al., 2017).

The events also impose many significant impacts on the environment, usually adverse effects from activities such as increasing the use of transportation, energy, and construction. All factors combined cause climate change and resulted in a reduction of natural resources. The impact on the environment is from all over the states of festival preparation from beginning to end events. The waste generates from festival increase several kinds of pollution, such as dumping of waste into water bodies increase water pollution. The waste can be minimized by using biodegradable products instead of plastics, such as making flowers from plastic or using natural flowers. Early planning of events by keeping all eco-friendly environmental decisions in mind can significantly reduce negative impacts on the environment (BS & Koti, 2017). Festivals have many implications on social, environmental, and economic aspects. Festivals serve as a prominent source for building a strong economy, establishing high standards of society, and could prove themselves beneficial for the environment if planned sufficiently.

Overview of Cultural and Art Event in Hong Kong and in Other Countries

It is crucial to focus on Hong Kong as one of the most important cultural centers in the world. The exciting and lively city of Hong Kong initiated the journey as a trading port, then fought for their rights under British and Chinese rule. Currently, in the 21st century, it has developed swiftly and is considered the hub of financial and commercial centers of the world. Hong Kong city, along with its outstanding and unique past, is enriched with the beauty of multiple cultures and lifestyles. The heterogeneity of cultures makes it more attractive, magical, and famous worldwide. The culture of Hong Kong is highly diverse and eye-catching (Chiu & Siu, 2022).

Cultural events typically aid in the promotion of place value as well as the development of regional values in a variety of ways, including assisting the economy by serving as a source of drawing visitors to a strong local business market, as well as having an impact on social standards (Getz et al., 2017). The cultural festivals celebrated in Hong Kong usually include street parades, lighted temples, and unique exploration of dancing and musical performance. The city is filled with arsenals of the cultural festival which enhance the beauty of Hong Kong. The celebrations are celebrated every month of the Gregorian calendar.

Festivals of Buddhists and Taoists appear to celebrate according to the lunar calendar, which concludes that dates shift annually. One of the great festivals often rejoices in January, February, May, and October. Chinese New Year is a great significance and valuable festival in Hong Kong. People get three days’ holiday from work and enjoy unique and ancient customs on this day (Li & Yu, 2022).

The arts festival society organizes the art festival in Hong Kong in Hong Kong. It is one of the international festivals enriched with cultural values presented by multiple local and international artists related to all categories of arts, along with a vast range of Festival PLUS and educational events. The genres of art festivals include music, chamber opera, theatre, and many other successful performances in Hong Kong (Boyle et al., 2012). Due to the wide variety of festival cultures, this city is known as a cultural melting pot. It is a city of almost seven million people from various cultural backgrounds and has unique values. Many people are of Chinese origin, while others are Indonesian, Thai, Filipino, American, Canadian, British, and Australian. The diverse range of ethnic groups makes this city unique and ideal to live in and comes under the category of the most densely populated cities in the world (Chan, 2022).

Some of the most prominent cultural events include the following. Firstly. The Chinese New Year is a big celebration in Hong Kong. During this event, the people use red shock lanterns to cover the entire city, and it remains impossible to escape the city. Whereas most people are found praying for good fortune and good health, others are observed selling incense and flowers. The second most prominent event is the Clockenflap, where a music fest is arranged. It is one of the biggest music festivals and has grown in profile over the past few years. It organizes performances from English and Chinese pop stars (Lundberg et al., 2017). The Hong Kong Pride Parade is another annual event where the people of Hong Kong march against the hostility being faced by the LGBTQ+ Community.

It has also evolved into celebrating a culture of equality and love to help the LGBTQ+ community feel empowered. The Pride Parade of 2019 was observed to have above 10,000 people who marched throughout the cities. Another important festival is the Lantern Festival of Hong Kong, which marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year (Li & Yu, 2022). It remains to be one of the earliest festivals in Hong Kong.

It is significant to highlight a few prominent occasions that have occurred in other parts of the world. Festivals in Spain are unique events, analogs of which are not found in any other country. The programs’ richness and the events’ colorfulness attract tourists from all parts of Europe (Heller, 2019). Tomatina, known in Spain as the festival, is one of the most popular and visited Spanish festivals, which gained worldwide fame. The Tomatina festival occurs in the city of Bunyol in the province of Valencia. It is the largest tomato festival in Spain, during which more than 150 tons of tomatoes are transformed into juice, flooding the city streets and staining every event participant (Heller, 2019, p. 129).This holiday in Spain has received such wide publicity that today this red beating is being held in several cities of the world at once, which have borrowed the idea of the tomato battle from Spain (Heller, 2019). These include the Chinese city of Guangdong Province and the Colombian municipality of Sutamarchan.

Another trendy holiday is the carnival in Rio de Janerio, which is recognized all over the world. Every year, 40 days before Easter, a substantial rousing spectacle begins, which runs for 5 days (Heller, 2019, p. 130). Millions of Brazilians and foreigners from all over the world enjoy the extravagance of the carnival. The roads are overfilled with music, dancing, and colorful parades during the festival. Music plays a vital role in the carnival; bright lights are accompanied by dancers performing to the rhythmic sounds of the samba. The attraction of the celebration in Rio de Janeiro is the parade on the Sambodrome, a stadium specially built for the purpose. For several months, samba schools in Rio de Janeiro prepare their shows, with anywhere from 2,500 to 5,000 participants (Heller, 2019, p. 130). Each school has its theme, embodied in more minor details, including exotic handmade costumes. The parades begin in the evening and end only in the early morning. Tourists from around the world visit not just to observe but to take participate in the carnival.

Chapter Summary

This chapter reflects the significance of cultural and artistic events in Hong Kong and provides insight into the government’s steps to improve cultural festival customs. At the same time, considerable attention is devoted to other cultural events that are popular worldwide. The cities of Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and Bunyol are filled with a fusion of different cultures and traditions, and they have inherited other cultural practices. Events revolve around culture and art on a particular theme and create many socio-economic and environmental outcomes. Moreover, public authorities support festivals, carnivals, and celebrations that enhance the image of states and disseminate positive information about them. Cultural events promote heterogeneous culture and provide many opportunities to develop latent and inner talents in the arts and creativity. These events also facilitate the creation of a strong economy because of tourists. Thus, tourism increases the charm and beauty of festivals and enhances their value.

Methodology

Research Methods

Research methods are the techniques, approaches, and processes used to collect data and evidence to analyze the research, determine the findings, and demonstrate an understanding of the research audience’s theme. There are several research methods that the researcher selects as the tool or instrument of data collection (Busetto et al., 2022). Research methods include research philosophy and an integrated approach with the philosophy of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. The current study has selected Qualitative research methods for the research analysis, the inductive approach, and interpretivism philosophy. As identified by Kumar (2019), there are four research philosophies: interpretivism, pragmatism, positivism, and realism. A major underline of the pragmatism philosophy is that the knowledge acquired by one is always based on one’s experiences. Therefore, one way of reasoning is based on the experience of the author, which is why one single viewpoint cannot paint the whole picture regarding the phenomena, hence multiple philosophical approaches are encouraged (Kaushik & Walsh, 2019).

On the other hand, positivism refers to the significance of what is provided as a rule, with a stricter focus on the consideration of objective information and reality. However, this does not take into consideration an understanding of human predispositions (Alharahsheh & Pius, 2020). Considering that the topic of this study is state participation in a cultural and artistic event, the point of view of persons working in state institutions will be examined in this study. There will also be a focus on non-governmental associations, relative to their impressions of the nature of state participation.

There the research philosophy used for this study is the interpretive one. Interpretivist theory is that reality can exclusively be accessed through social developments like shared beliefs, cooperation, interaction tools, and thinking. Subsequently, it is essential to consolidate human interests in trying to assemble intensive and unmistakable discoveries on the phenomenon (Saunders et al., 2015). Many opinionated research types present different schools of thought when it comes to research approaches. There are three main methods for the research approach: inductive, deductive, and abductive (Armat et al., 2018). When it involves the application of the inductive method, its thinking is characterized as the most common method of moving from specific hypothetical data to the generalization of assumptions and theories.

On the other hand, the deductive strategy depends on using outlined theories and developing and confirming new assumptions using statistical systems. These systems are utilized to produce explicit findings that can reject or approve the proposed idea of the researcher (Sileyew, 2019). Due to the interactive nature of the research, the author used an inductive approach for this study. Since the researcher wanted to present critical and comprehensive viewpoints based on the findings through questions and conversations with the target audience.

Data Collection

According to Sallis et al. (2021), primary data collection and secondary data collection are the two basic forms of data gathering strategies. Many researchers believe that in secondary data collection, information is gathered through literature that is already available, such as the Internet, books, documentary articles, and other second-hand sources. While in primary data collection, information is gathered through questionnaires, surveys, interviews, and other first-hand sources.

Hong Kong has a significant influence on China’s cross-border capital flows. Hong Kong is an international city because many companies have offices or registered businesses there (Raco & Gilliam, 2012). The city is an important center of financial transactions; in Hong Kong, it is possible to observe the representatives of various nationalities.

This affects the fact that the development of culture and the holding of cultural events in the city are extremely diverse. It is significant to emphasize that Hong Kong is an area with one of the highest population densities in the world, with 6,278 people per square kilometer (Raco & Gilliam, 2012, p. 1425). Thus, the collection of data in Hong Kong will enable the establishment of the peculiarities of a large city’s cultural development and identify the government’s role in the process.

Due to the nature of this study, the researcher used non-probability sampling as a data collection technique and gathered information using semi-structured interviews. The non-probability sampling approach has been used for this study to ensure that the sample remains impartial and random. Under the non-probability sampling strategy, a Judgmental technique was used where the sample populous was targeted based on the researcher’s knowledge and judgment. This technique has a more significant chance of accuracy with the results. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals working in government agencies or non-government associations. The semi-structured interviews encourage two-way communication, which assists the researcher in grasping the knowledge’s core understanding.

A total of 10 respondents were invited, two of whom declined the invitation, which is why they would not be suitable candidates for this study. Finally, 8 interviewees were asked, of whom 3 were men and 5 were women. The sample included 1 member of the arts council, 1 chairman of the performing arts association, and 2 managers and producers of the West Kowloon Cultural District. However, the respondents were 2 program managers of the leisure and cultural services department (one from the cultural exchange office and the other from the venue operation), and 2 were funded by the government arts and culture funding organization.

Each interview was conducted for approximately 45-60 minutes using Zoom Meeting software and was recorded with the interviewees’ consent. The interviews employed the same introduction instruction and roles of the participants; the Cantonese language was used, which was then transcribed verbatim into English for data analysis. During the research, the open-ended question elicited the notion that participants were comfortable answering and developing ideas fluently. In general, the researcher can get an honest, balanced interview approach to explore the influence and involvement of the Hong Kong government in the arts and culture events sector. Therefore, both government representatives and neutrals are selected for interviews to represent the perspectives of both sides.

Data Analysis

It is significant to mention that qualitative and quantitative analysis is the principal data analysis methods. Qualitative analysis can be achieved using content and theme research. Data correlation and regression should be applied when applying the quantitative approach. This study collected data based on people’s experiences and interactions; accordingly, thematic analysis was adopted. A semi-structured method was used to collect information, allowing strong arguments to be advanced to explain the role of government in the organization of cultural events. The analysis method was used to develop themes based on the data collected during the interviews, and each theme represented the aims of the interviewee.

In the research conducted by Kazdin (2021), it is accepted to distinguish between qualitative, quantitative, and mixed types of analysis. In order to corroborate the data, the researcher provides evidence appropriate to the purpose of the study. However, most science researchers use the quantitative method because it enables them to use data that can be measured. In contrast, researchers using a qualitative approach believe that they can better understand the group through interaction with the target audience rather than numerical data (Bell et al., 2019). Thus, this study is based on data analysis that only uses qualitative data. This is to ensure that all findings are reliable and unbiased. At the same time, it encourages participants to record true thoughts and impressions in questionnaires. Accordingly, it is possible to evaluate the government’s participation in cultural events.

This technique is supported by Abutabenjeh & Jaradat (2018), who confirm that qualitative research focuses on obtaining interviewee responses through their backgrounds and beliefs. The narrative analysis provides critical information and evidence gathered during the interviews. In addition, themes are compared and contrasted with existing literature to provide valuable insights into the data collected that can support readers and research interviewees in the most beneficial ways.

Finding & Discussion

Respondent Information

The fourth chapter is finding to understand the data’s content and structure, through the stories and experiences of the interviewee producing the new-found knowledge and understanding of this topic. Given the above, all respondents are active professionals working in the cultural and art event industry and grouped under two categories into government agencies and non-government organisations to carry out the principle of being fair, open and honest for the research. In order to analyse the transcripts successfully, each respondent will be coded as G1-G5 and N1-3.

Table 1: Respondent information

The above table illustrates the percentage of males and females involved in the study, indicating that 63% were female and 47% were male. It also presented that the age of 35-40 is approximately half (50%) of all scales, and the age of 30-35 accounts for a quarter. The percentage of age 40-45 and 45-50 got 1% disparities in research, is 12% and 13% respectively. Those tables identify the ability of respondents to discuss related issues to the research questions in depth; To understand the importance of cultural and art events for Hong Kong city; To explore the government’s plans for the growth of local culture and art events.; To identify an efficient way of planning an event that impacts Hong Kong’s socioeconomic and environmental conditions and to provide recommendations for improving government policies in cultural and art events.

Significantly, an analysis of the available literature provides an assessment of the level of organization of the carnival in Rio de Janeiro and of the Tomatina festival in Bunyol. In this way, it is possible to determine what influence these festivals have on the countries and to evaluate the role of local and state governments in their organization. Moreover, it will permit to suggest recommendations to enhance the cultural sector of public policies.

Importance of Cultural and Arts Events in Hong Kong and the World

The first interview question covered the importance of cultural and art events in Hong Kong. When interviewing, all respondents held the consensus that those events were beneficial for society. There are some 1,000 theatre companies in Hong Kong, presenting up to 8,000 shows a year and attracting an absolute audience of more than 3 million people. Hong Kong also has one of the largest industries in the world. The respondents in this study indicated the consensus that cultural and art events are an important and potential development segment for the city.

“Hong Kong’s arts, culture and innovative businesses are famous for their diversity and tolerance of East and West. They are distinctive inside and out, numerous and of the highest quality. From theatre to sports, folk music to Chinese performing arts, Hong Kong offers a wide range of Eastern and Western performing arts.” (G2)

“Hong Kong hosts high-profile exhibitions, such as Gagosian and White Cube. Christie’s and Sotheby’s play an important role in this regard. These events to be a major financial booster to Hong Kong’s economy.” (N1)

On this account, it can be deduced that the town planning and development progress has been speeded up by the virtue of Hong Kong’s cultural festivals. With millions of annual visitors, the collective events conducted in Hong Kong help the state to portray its culture and tradition in front of a global audience and, in return, receive huge financial merits. Likewise, this also shows that manifold stakeholders, e.g. countries, and municipalities alongside city authorities, are partnering to organize such events – this would provide mutual benefits to each partner. A general consensus of the survey answers showed a collective agreement that the aforementioned partnerships would attract more unilateral or multilateral entities to invest their efforts in Hong Kong’s events. Furthermore, the respondents mentioned these events’ crucial impact on Hong Kong people in the following manners. Firstly, these events are leisure for the people of Hong Kong, where the emotions caused by art can help improve the well-being of the people.

“The cultural events provide the opportunity for Hong Kong People to acquire knowledge and skills in the field of art. For instance, people can learn about historical events, development of dance skills, music, sculpturing, drawing and cultural traditions. Therefore, a collective cultural awareness can be created.” (G1)

“Cultural events create a space that allows the youth with like-minded to join together; increase their interaction with the others via any activities and help for their development of further.” (N3)

Those ideas of peace and harmony can be created using such events in Hong Kong. This has special significance for Hong Kong due to the inter-community peace which can be created using such events. The literature indicates that February is the period of highest tourism in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. The event is visited on average by more than 5 million tourists. Dittmer & Bos (2019) indicate that this celebration covers the entire city without exception, from the poorest favelas to the most profitable administrative quarters. It is significant to mention that locals offer services to tourists. For example, the income of hotels, hostels, and restaurants is increasing several times. Indeed, the development of traditional Brazilian culture and its popularization worldwide is also occurring.

Fernández-Tabales et al. (2017) indicate that Spain is one of the top ten tourist destinations in the world. As of 2016, Spain was the second most visited country in the world. This is because tourists are interested in the traditions of the locals. The Tomatina in Bunyol demonstrates the temperament of the Spaniards, which is of interest to most tourists. Nadotti & Vannoni (2019) observe that many locals generate their primary income precisely by organizing mass events.

Discussion

It is crucial to emphasize that the events in Hong Kong are significant for the city’s development. They will bring together different cultures and promote social progress. The list of events to attend ranges from folk art to new cultural traditions. Respondents noted that the city’s economic development had increased significantly due to tourism, which is a consequence of cultural events. It is not only of positive importance at the local level, such as creating new jobs or improving the infra-red structure. The profits generated by the authorities also help spread the word about Hong Kong’s culture worldwide. Accordingly, cultural traditions are known not only in neighboring states but also on other continents. The respondents’ answers show that the organization of cultural institutions significantly impacts Hong Kong residents. This is because they are mindful of their own culture and history, which are always presented at public events.

Mass celebrations contribute to the cohesion of local residents, trying to create a comfortable environment for tourists. There are many public organizations dealing with environmental issues. They form groups that monitor the level of pollution in the cities. Furthermore, local authorities help in this matter, and communal workers also participate in cleaning the streets during festivals and carnivals. Together, the efforts of the government and private organizations ensure clean streets even during mass events. In this way, it is in the cities’ interest that their profits increase and social connections are established.

Carnival is extremely valuable to Brazil for several reasons. First, it unites the nation’s population, regardless of economic status, race, or religion. Consequently, it contributes to the reduction of crime in the cities. At the same time, all segments of the population are united because they are proud of their own culture. Indeed, in addition to its social influence, the carnival contributes to the economic enrichment of citizens. Even in poor neighborhoods, people offer accommodation to tourists and get more profit from it. Secondly, the local authorities develop the city’s infrastructure and invest in tourist restaurants and hotels. Accordingly, this assists in creating a positive international image of Brazil.

The festival in Spain also has social, economic, and political significance. The entire state’s population is united by the fact that this holiday has religious value for them. In turn, tourists come to experience the flavor of Spain. They spend money in local restaurants, hotels and other establishments that offer tourist services. The population of Bunyol is tourist-oriented because it is located in a tourist region. Thus, the world-famous festival has become a way for them to earn money and popularize their services. Hence, despite the fact that all these cultural events take place in different states, they are united by their economic, social, and political advantages.

Government’s Role and Its Policies in Cultural and Arts Events in Hong Kong and The World

Governments are committed to preserving opportunities for social and creative creativity and expression. They should also create an environment conducive to developing contemporary, traditional culture and artistic expression. Policies include but are not limited to evaluating the possibility of articulation and innovation. It also creates opportunities for broader support and participation in the local environment. Policies further encourage creative imagination by enhancing and appropriately valuing diversity. At the same time, it ensures a healthy environment (environmental, financial, educational, and organizational).

These policies satisfy Hong Kong’s basic standards as a free, diverse, and open society. In 2021/2022, the government is spending more than $5.7 billion to promote arts and culture. In addition, to support related infrastructures such as the West Kowloon/East Kowloon Cultural Center, education encourages students to participate in the arts and culture sector. At the same time, funds have been allocated to support the revival and preservation of Cantonese opera, sponsoring non-governmental arts organizations to improve the content of cultural and artistic events in Hong Kong.

Spain is among those European countries that have made the most extensive reduction in cultural expenditures during the years of crisis. Although large-scale festivals such as Tomatina were not held due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the government tried to support the cultural sector, businesses, and infrastructure. Accordingly, in 2016/2017, the government allocated more than $4.3 billion (Fernández-Tabales et al., 2017). Similarly, the government has reduced spending on cultural events and city preparations in Brazil. This is due to Covid-19; several years of mass celebrations did not take place and consequently did not bring profit to the state. Therefore, in 2018/2019, the total budget for cultural development will be $3.6 billion (Nadotti & Vannoni, 2019). This demonstrates that even in times of crisis, the government is trying to finance the cultural sector.

Considering the survey results conducted in Hong Kong, the following conclusions can be drawn. Indeed, most interview respondents recognized the government as a funder in promoting cultural and art events. One of the respondents(G3) has identified making Hong Kong a cultural and art destination in Asia as a crucial element that led to the city’s infrastructural development into the state’s policy-making agendas. The interview responses of G1 have also substantiated this finding. He has referred to the prolonged delay in the government trending in the arts and cultural sectors of Hong Kong.

Furthermore, this delay was particularly faced by SMEs Art organizations. In contrast, the established names in the industry, namely Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, received an abundance of the allocated funding from the government. G1 added to his remarks and denoted the initial support provided to the large-scale organizations around 30 decades ago that helped them establish their position in the arts and cultural sector. These megacorporations have become self-sufficient, so the government’s funding should be allotted to deserving others. Due to this, G1 depicted the urgent need to make changes to government policy. Instead of overfunding the eminent names in the industry, he highlighted the importance of providing funds to SMEs. Not only would this promote new ideas and festivals that would optimize the region’s socioeconomic merits, but it would also attract increased global interest.

Hong Kong has emerged on the globe as an international metropolitan for cultural and arts events with its own identity rooted and blended with Chinese traditions and diverse cultures of people from different backgrounds. This city celebrates life through culture as cultural creativeness drives the city towards progress. Respondent(G4) observed that the Hong Kong administration provides opportunities for its people to participate in cultural and arts events. It also caters to talented artists and cultural representatives in this context.

Furthermore, the respondent(N3) claimed that the administration of Hong Kong helps build an environment that is supportive of such events that portray the cultural diversity of the residents of the metropolitan city. In this regard, the Hong Kong government encourages the traditional cultures and creativity that come along with it. It encourages artists to conceive innovative ideas to present their cultural heritage in more fashionable ways. All these initiatives and stances aim to develop this city as a leading hub for cultural exchange.

Moreover, the participants suggested that the government urges people to pursue their cultural interests and develop their artistic potential. Simultaneously, the administration of Hong Kong encourages its people to promote the richness and variety of their culture through cultural and arts events. Respondent(G3) claims that they get a sense of freedom in practising their culture as the government promises their artistic freedom. However, there are worries by the other respondent(N1) that the current law of Safeguarding National Security won’t provide a clear bottom line for the creators.

No one knows the boundary between secession, sedition, and subversion against the Central People’s Government. In the future, most people may not have reasonable expectations because the legislation of the National Security Law will partially impact cultural event development. After all, no one knows what I can do in artistic creation, and the art creators should try to push the boundary to the maximum or step back and self-censor. Many creators have similar questions, but there is no guideline for every government organisation to answer these questions about creativity. Shall we always do traditional cultural activities such as Shakespearean drama or Mozart concerts in the theatre? If like that probably safest for creators to always do that. However, the Hong Kong government wants Hong Kong to be the hub of Asian culture; we shouldn’t look for the safest traditional cultural events.

On the other hand, the respondents (G4 and G5) mentioned the sustainability of the related policies; the government of Hong Kong includes all segments of society in ways that foster the flourishing growth of arts and culture of Hong Kong as all the government agencies collaborate to promote cultural growth. In this context, the administration encourages the business community and other sectors to come forward and work as a partner to foster artistic growth concerning cultural and arts events. One of the examples of such a partnership is the K11 shopping mall in the city, which has a museum and provides a lot of art activities (K11-Musea). The government of Hong Kong allocates a big chunk of its budget toward its arts and cultural heritage.

Most of the funds were earmarked for venue assistance for arts and cultural events, financing for arts organizations, arts education programs, and administrative expenses. The Government of Hong Kong also promotes the growth of its arts and culture by establishing and managing various cultural institutions, such as performance arenas, libraries, and museums. The authority for cultural activities, namely “West Kowloon Cultural District Authority,” has been awarded an initial grant to develop a magnificent facility of integrated cultural and arts center equipped with international standards infrastructure. This strategic project investment will address the infrastructure and development requirements of the city’s arts and culture for the long term. It aims to encourage the spontaneous development of cultural sectors and promote Hong Kong’s reputation as a global city with a thriving cultural and arts scene.

In Brazil, considerable attention is devoted to the development of traditional culture. State authorities allocate funds to open new schools and support existing places where dance is taught. This encourages residents to develop traditional culture and display it during the carnival (Nadotti & Vannoni, 2019). The Brazilian authorities spend a quarter of the budget on cultural and recreational centers. This is because one of the strategic goals of cultural policy is to create places where locals and tourists can experience the cultural traditions of Brazil. At the same time, local authorities invest in developing new arts. For instance, it promotes the development of theater and cinematography (Nadotti & Vannoni, 2019). Thus, the state’s cultural policy is aimed at promoting Brazilian art worldwide.

It is significant to note that Spain, as a European state, supports the development of not only traditional culture but also the common European culture. Museums and exhibitions of national importance will receive the most funds, 102.42 million euros, to ensure the normal functioning and improvement of the existing infrastructure. Including those administered by the authorities of the Autonomous Communities. The Prado National Museum will be allocated 36.39 million euros and 30.62 million euros to the Queen Sofia Center for the Arts (Fernández-Tabales et al., 2017). The music and dance plan development will send 90.2 million euros, and theaters will get 33.56 million euros. The authorities also invest in the permanent expansion of cities to encourage tourists to visit them (Fernández-Tabales et al., 2017). Cultural policy in Spain aims to create the state the cultural capital of Europe.

Discussion

The public policies of Brazil and Spain are aimed at promoting traditional arts. Accordingly, the city’s government and authorities fund theaters and other places where locals and tourists can learn more about traditional culture. In Brazil, considerable attention is devoted to maintaining and developing existing dance schools, and significant investments are made to create new ones. The effects of this policy are especially noticeable during carnival when schools present the best students competing for the prize. In Spain, the government invests heavily in developing museums containing works by famous artists from around the world. This policy also intends to encourage cultural tourism and the appreciation of its population. It is significant to note that what these two different states have in common is that the governments are developing the infrastructure of the cities and creating comfortable conditions for tourists. It also contributes to the preparations for the Rio de Janeiro carnival, and the Tomatina in Bunyol requires less effort. This is because the main problems related to transportation, street cleaning, and the development of the tourist and hotel business are constantly being addressed.

It is possible to deduce that financing cultural and art events in Hong Kong is part of the common policy. The city administration pays essential attention to cultural and artistic events that promote the development of young artists. This contributes to the fact that traditional art is combined with the innovative ideas of young artists. Accordingly, it allows the city to remain one of the leading cultural centers in the world. At the same time, a law was introduced to control massive measures to preserve national security. This has provoked mixed comments from the public, with a specific part of the residents agreeing that it is not indifferent to ensuring their safety. Another part felt that such government interference is harmful to the future development of arts and other activities. In addition to developing traditional arts and supporting young artists, the government is actively working to create the image of a tourist city. Therefore, work is constantly conducted to improve the city’s infrastructure and financed by the city. This is because the cultural policy is one of the most crucial for Hong Kong.

Hence, the common feature of the three states is that they try to develop tourism with the help of culture. It is important to note that tourism development is also the primary reason why governments support cultural policy. Accordingly, they provide significant funding for artistic and other cultural events. As a consequence, the governments receive substantial resources from festivals and carnivals, visits to museums that they can spend again, and the development of culture. Therefore, cultural policy is one of the leading ones in order to generate revenues and develop a positive image of states in the international arena.

The Influence of Cultural Events in Hong Kong, Spain, and Brazil on Their Socio-Economic and Physical Infrastructures

According to the respondents(G4), in the context of infrastructure, the diverse development in Hong Kong supports multiple lifestyles, options, productivity, accessibility, and shared utilisation of facilities, ultimately fostering harmonious connections and improving the experiences within cultural and arts events. Hong Kong’s distinctive global metropolitan image, cultural history, and local characteristics are crucial pillars of its strength. Most respondents stressed that Hong Kong uses its unique combination of Chinese and western cultures to establish itself as a worldwide hub for cultural interactions. They also proposed that it is a vibrant city where ‘inventiveness and enterprise intersect’ as it is a multicultural city with great variety and worldwide connectedness.

One of the government agency’s respondents (G3) emphasised that cultural and art events are increasing in Hong Kong, leading to increased business opportunities and economic flow.

Respondent claimed we could see improved results in hotel rooms. This demand increase results in rising prices of hotels, eventually, more overall income in Hong Kong. Furthermore, in response to the international standards for Biological Diversity, most local administration respondents (G1-G5) stressed that they were developing a city-wide strategy to cater to this concern. Moreover, this increased demand for hotels due to cultural and art events happening within Hong Kong results in more hotel construction. As a result, more job opportunities for residents. As Hong Kong relies on its tourism industry, this situation helps the overall socio-economic conditions of the metropolitan. Respondents N2 described the cultural and arts events in positive activities towards socio-economic problems. The rise in cultural and arts events will bring more tourists to Hong Kong. Eventually, it will increase banking services to cater to those tourists.

Furthermore, respondents also discussed the opportunities and investments that would make their way due to increased cultural and arts events. This will bring in the flow of investments into the metropolitan enhancing-economic scenario. This will help boost the banking and finance industry of Hong Kong. Infrastructure-wise, festivals provide an opportunity for developing repaired or damaged infrastructure and the building of new ones. One of the respondents identified the west Kowloon cultural district and East Kowloon cultural center as examples of such developments. The infrastructure is enhanced to satisfy both the needs of local and foreign tourists.

Spain represents one of the key countries in Europe and the world with a rich historical and cultural heritage. Spain is popular among foreign tourists because of its warm climate, picturesque beaches, and exquisite gastronomy. At the same time, the government supports festivals and other artistic events in order to increase the number of tourists. This leads to an influx of funds to the state and, consequently, an improvement in living standards for the locals. During tourist seasons, such as during the Tomatina festival, the cost of rent and demand for local restaurants increases. People worldwide participate in the festival, consequently attracting money to Spain.

Brazil has the most significant economic potential among Latin American countries. Still, the differentiation in income is huge, as is the difference in the development of the eastern and western regions. This is due to the fact that the tourist regions profit from the development of the tourist season. For example, the carnival in Rio de Janeiro needs considerable private and public investment. However, the profits generated by the city and the state allow to cover these costs and still invest in the development of infrastructure, ecology, and other essential factors for the state. Even though the level of urban development in Brazil is lower than in European countries, the cost of hotels rises to European standards during mass celebrations. This explains why the government supports artistic and other cultural events.

Discussion

It is crucial to emphasize that the development of culture is a powerful mechanism for improving people’s lives in different states. This is due to the fact that tourists attending cultural and artistic events enrich the budget of cities. At the same time, the demand for settlement in the towns where festivals, carnivals, exhibitions, or other celebrations occur is growing. Accordingly, there is a need to develop cities and create new jobs. In this way, governments encourage the hotel and restaurant industry to expand, thus ensuring the needs of tourists and creating new jobs for residents.

Significant accumulation of funds also leads to the expansion of banking flows and operations. This has the effect that tourist cities are also becoming major financial centers of the regions.

It is essential to observe that government policies aimed at the development of cultural and artistic events assess their impact on the lives of residents. For example, in Hong Kong, the cost of housing for tourists is growing; in Bunyol, all the local restaurants are crowded with visitors. Moreover, even in the poor neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro, prices for products and services are raised. Thus, the introduction of policies that support cultural events has a considerable influence on the economic well-being of societies and municipalities.

All the benefits that cities will gain from holding mass events contribute to their development. Furthermore, the dissemination of information about the traditional culture of Hong Kong contributes to the fact that it is modernized and has become famous. The same applies to Spain and Brazil because their national dances have become popular around the world. This emphasizes the creation of socio-cultural connections between the various states. It should be stressed that urban development also requires solutions from the government to maintain environmental friendliness. This is especially important during cultural and artistic events that involve crowds of people. For instance, the Hong Kong government supports the initiative to expand recreational areas and green spaces. In turn, the Spanish government is improving the quality of beaches and recreation areas. The general cleanliness of the streets is ensured with the aid of municipal workers. In this way, tourists are satisfied with the service, and locals do not feel discomfort.

Cultural events are not only a way of attracting investment, developing cities and infrastructure, and accelerating socio-cultural connections. Various festivals, carnivals, and celebrations help enhance people’s awareness of their own culture and the value of the culture of other nations. Hence, cultural events have environmental, economic, and socio-cultural significance for the advancement of cities, which is why governments support them. Accordingly, cultural advancement as an opportunity for the comprehensive development of the state occupies a vital place in the policies of governments.

Conclusion

The previously described study was conducted to analyze the influence of the governments of Hong Kong, Brazil, and Spain on arts and cultural events. The researcher began the study with a brief introduction to the subject, which also highlighted the study’s goals and objectives along with the study’s research questions. The next stage involved researching the literature that exists in the field. It is on the analyzed literature that the conclusions about the cultural events in Rio de Janeiro and Bunyol are based. The researcher then emphasized that an initial qualitative study was used for the study. The researcher conducted 8 interviews in order to obtain relevant results without any doubt about their validity. The researcher then collected data through interviews and conducted a thematic analysis of the data, creating themes of responses. The final chapter included a summary of the study’s findings and recommendations and future implications.

Recommendation

Some recommendations that could be provided to the governments of Hong Kong, Brazil, and Spain, based on the results of the study, are outlined below.

• Governments should develop programs that will provide more opportunities for diverse people with talent. This will assist in representing their culture to the world. These programs can be started at educational levels to contribute to the promotion of the cultures of the states.
• In addition, formal education on the history and culture of the region should also be incorporated into schools and other educational institutions to develop a sense of belonging to the country’s local people. These formal educational programs will also attract people from other cultures interested in learning about Hong Kong’s culture and arts. The administration needs to distribute a separate budget for such programs to enable Hong Kong’s cultural and artistic experiences to spread worldwide.
• It is essential that cultural weeks be celebrated several times a year officially. Such a decision would allow these weeks to showcase all the cultural features of the cities, and accordingly, it would attract more tourists. For many individuals, this will provide an opportunity to appreciate the cultures of Spain, Brazil, and Hong Kong in a short time and visit again for extended celebrations.
• Governments should cooperate more with private organizations to organize large-scale celebrations. They need to negotiate contracts to regulate the covered portions of the funding. In this way, it will reduce bureaucracy during the organization of mass events.

Future Implication

This study will create the foundation for future researchers interested in analyzing Hong Kong’s and other countries’ cultural diversity. In addition, this study can provide significant conclusions for researchers aiming to analyze the socio-economic status of people living in Hong Kong and related regions. At the same time, such an analysis can be conducted after a thorough study in Spain and Brazil. Moreover, future studies could assess the relationship between the cultural characteristics of Rio de Janeiro, Bunyol, and Hong Kong and the standard of living of these cities. Besides the theoretical point of view, this study can also provide significant conclusions for public authorities intending to enhance cultural promotion. The study’s findings will permit policymakers to determine the current state of cultural events and the potential that they can be used to promote local culture. In addition, the study’s results can be used to justify the importance of more regional cultural studies in schools.

Limitation

During the research, there were some problems related to the limitations that can affect the quality of the study. First of all, the time limit required for the research was insufficient for a thorough study of the topic. Accordingly, the main focus was on Hong Kong because of the peculiarities of this city. At the same time, the limited time frame did not allow for conducting a survey with the residents of Rio de Janeiro and Bunyol, which is why the primary information was taken from the literature. It is worth noting that the interview conducted in Hong Kong required considerable effort because of quarantine restrictions caused by the Covid -19 pandemic.

Moreover, the researcher could have included a quantitative study to quantify the impact of the government of Hong Kong on the cultural and art events in the city. However, this was not possible because of a deficiency of time and resources. Another disadvantage of the study is that the social isolation of the respondents during the pandemic could have affected their responses. Some participants might have downplayed the importance of cultural events, while others might have minimized the government’s actions in organizing them. Accordingly, future research should pay attention to the impact of the pandemic on cultural events in Hong Kong and the world.

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