The festival was moved online last year due to the pandemic and was cancelled altogether in 2019 because of the social unrest.
This year, participants can buy a tasting pass which will allow them to try wines and special menus at more than 50 restaurants and bars in Kennedy Town, Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui.
“Instead of having it in a physical venue where everyone’s there, we’re now bringing everyone into the neighbourhood and into the community,” said Dane Cheng, the Tourism Board’s executive director.
“The format of having it in a big open space venue with hundreds of thousands of people over a four-day period, tasting different wine, good food in different booths and with music, I think that certainly is the most desirable format,” Cheng said.
“But it’s different, it’s almost impossible to do it under the current control monitoring environment.”
Hundreds of restaurants will also be offering special menus and discounts during the period.
The Tourism Board said it has invested HK$15 million in the event, including spending on promoting the festival overseas and on the mainland.
Cheng said they are aiming to bring the festival back to an open venue next year, while looking into incorporating other elements as well.
“I think it’ll be a combination of everything, a bit of a hybrid in terms of online, in terms of bringing it to the neighbourhood, in terms of having restaurants, outlets and bars participating,” he said.
“We’re actually taking the opportunity, trying different means and forms and to curate Hong Kong, taking us to another level of this culinary capital of Asia.”
