A visitor tastes a cup of tea at the Hong Kong International Tea Fair debuted in Hong Kong on August 13. (Xinhua)

The first-ever Hong Kong International Tea Fair debuted in Hong Kong on Thursday, as an effort to establish a global tea trade hub and to boost new exhibition business amid global financial crisis.

The three-day Tea Fair is organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Chinese Tea Culture International Exchange Association. The fair attracts over 250 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions, including India, Japan, Malaysia, Canada and Australia.

Since Hong Kong is a prime trading hub and its people have the highest tea consumption levels among Asian cities, the inaugural tea fair will facilitate global trade and encourage an even higher tea culture in the city, said Raymond Yip, the HKTDC' s assistant executive director.

As a regional tea trading hub, Hong Kong imported more than 380million HK dollars worth of tea and related products in 2008, 10 percent up over 2007, while exporting approximately 114 million HK dollars worth of tea the same year, up 31 percent year on year.

The tea fair is combined with the 20th Food Expo, which is the city's annual food extravaganza and HKTDC' s veteran exhibition brand, featuring over 600 exhibitors from over 24 countries and regions.

Hong Kong citizens and tourists can also join another new fair, the Hong Kong Lifestyle Showcase from Aug. 14 to 17.

"All these fairs reflect well on Hong Kong's growing role as a hub for Asian Lifestyle trends," said Yip. "As Asian markets mature, we see regional consumers demanding more of their own styles and trends, and we see Hong Kong as ideally placed to be the necessary platform in growth areas such as lifestyle, tea and food."