HKTB Steps Up Varied Promotions to Drive Tourism Restoration

HONG KONG–(BUSINESS WIRE) – The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) hosted its annual Tourism Update event online on May 18, where tourism trends were discussed and details on the HKTB’s latest strategic plans with around 2,700 sales representatives from HK, mainland and travel agents overseas, attractions, were shared. Hotels, airlines, retailers, restaurants, meeting and exhibition operators, cruise lines and other travel sectors. HKTB Executive Director Mr. Dane Cheng told representatives that HKTB was preparing to step up promotions and start a new round of campaign for Hong Kong neighborhoods. In addition, the HKTB is hoping to restart mega-events in physical formats in preparation for the recovery of tourism.

Mr. Cheng said, “In addition to promoting local tourism through the Holiday at Home platform, HKTB has also maintained HK’s international profile with a series of promotional campaigns throughout the pandemic.

“The global economy has started to recover and Asia is expected to recover sooner and the mainland is expected to outperform other markets in economic growth. Combined with the gradual easing of the HK pandemic situation, this is a good time for HK to further improve its profile. With the gradual resumption of cross-border travel, HKTB will launch the Open House Hong Kong platform to conduct large-scale promotions in our source markets. ”

HKTB has launched two promotions, Old Town Central and Sham Shui Po, as part of its Hong Kong neighborhood campaign in recent years. Both were warmly welcomed by the visitors who appreciated the experience they offered. To tie in with the M + visual culture venue opening in late 2021, the HKTB will focus its next promotion on the West Kowloon cultural district and surrounding areas for the next quarter by redesigning the promotion of the neighborhood’s authentic local cultural aspects of Boost the interest of visitors as the resumption of the journey approaches.

If the pandemic situation in the city stays under control, the HKTB also hopes to restart mega-events that HK people can initially attend. The first event to return in a physical format will be the Hong Kong Cyclothon and the HKTB is investigating the feasibility of extending the route to the HK section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to make the event more attractive . For other mega-events that are to be held in the “Online + Offline” format, new interest elements will be added to ensure the global visibility of HK. The HKTB will continue to support major international events and meetings in HK.

However, the pace of global tourism recovery will be determined by the pandemic-related situation and global vaccination rate. The HKTB therefore appeals to everyone working in the tourism industry to participate in the vaccination program and to help HD achieve herd immunity as soon as possible.

At the event, the HKTB invited representatives of leading brands on the mainland and in HK to share their insights:

Forum 1: Take advantage of business development opportunities on the mainland and in the Greater Bay Area

Mr. Yanxiang Liu, GM of Tickets & Travel BU, Meituan: “In the wake of the epidemic, the travel industry has accelerated its online transformation and consumer behavior and demand have changed. Meituan will leverage the strengths of technology and e-commerce to deliver a diverse customer experience and help the Hong Kong tourism industry better grasp market trends so we can work together to develop a vision for a better life. ”

Mr. Liwei Yang, Head of the Volcengine Culture & Tourism Industry at ByteDance: “The idea that ‘content is king’ has become the key to success in digital marketing. Data analysis plays a very important role in the widespread communication of content. ByteDance will continue to maximize its big data analytics, cloud computing and artificial intelligence capabilities to move forward with our industrial partners. ”

Frank Huang, VP, Fliggy: “The convenience of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will further increase the demand for travel in the Greater Bay Area. Fliggy will continue to work with Hong Kong tourism to attract visitors from the Greater Bay Area through a variety of advertising platforms and to drive tourism development. ”

Forum 2: Global Brands in Hong Kong Prepare for Recovery

Dr. Jennifer Cronin, President of Wharf Hotels and Chairperson of Heritage Tourism Brands: “Hong Kong hotels are known for providing the best service in the world. Not only was quality improved during the pandemic, but we are also committed to staying one step ahead of the new travel paradigms when it comes to guest expectations. I believe the HK tourism industry is more than ready and prepared for a quick recovery. ”

Simon Large, Director Customer, Cathay Pacific Airways: “In order to meet the expectations of travelers throughout their consumer journey, we believe that digitization, such as digital passports in the aviation industry, plays an important role in facilitating the safe and gradual return of will play overseas travel. In addition, we also believe that vaccinations are key to tourism recovery. ”

Eric Gnock Fah, COO & co-founder of KLOOK: “We are experiencing a permanent change in consumer behavior and digital acceptance will only accelerate further. The pandemic has presented the travel industry with many challenges, but it also offers the opportunity to rethink and reinvent changing customer expectations or the risk of being left behind. ”

Mr. Syed Asim Hussain, Founder of Black Sheep Restaurants: “I believe in the magic of Black Sheep Restaurants and I believe in our city. HK is set to return in a big way, and we’ll be part of the town’s comeback history. For the past two years we have focused on survival. Now it’s time for us to do what we love again: run great restaurants, build dynamic teams and look after our guests. ”