CUHK Business School’s “MeGoOut” rural tourism project receives HK$3 million government funding for second phase

The School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School has received a further HK$3 million under the Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme (CCFS), administered by the Countryside Conservation Office of the Environment and Ecology Bureau, to support the development of sustainable rural tourism in Sha Tau Kok.

Led by Professor Lisa Wan Chun-ying, associate dean (teaching and learning) of CUHK Business School and professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, the project first received HK$3 million under CCFS in 2025. It aims to promote rural conservation and tourism development in Mui Tsz Lam, Kuk Po and Kat O. Over the past year, the project team organised two major events in Kat O — the “MeGoOut Rural Food Carnival” and the “MeGoOut Countryside Culture Inclusion Festival” — attracting more than 3,500 participants in total.

The new funding will support the second phase of the “MeGoOut” rural immersive tourism initiative. The project will continue to focus on Mui Tsz Lam, Kuk Po and Kat O, integrating cultural promotion, ecological conservation and community economic development. The team also plans to launch a new branding campaign to promote sustainable rural tourism and enhance the tourism value of Sha Tau Kok’s rural communities.

Professor Wan expressed her appreciation for the renewed funding and thanked the villagers, students, colleagues and partners involved in the project. She said, “Sustainable tourism should not remain an academic concept; it must be put into practice in ways that genuinely benefit communities, protect the environment and preserve culture. My team and I will continue to bridge the urban-rural divide through our professional expertise, contributing empirical knowledge and practical experience to the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s countryside.”