HONG KONG — The Hong Kong Tourism Board has unveiled its new revival plan to keep Hong Kong top of mind as eager travellers look to splash out on new and favourite destinations.

The HKTB laid out its plan at its annual Tourism Update event, held online last week.

With the theme ‘Together Towards New Horizons’, Tourism Update 2022 attracted 3,200 trade representatives from travel agencies, attractions, hotels, airlines, retailers, restaurants, and meeting and exhibition organizers from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and overseas markets.

The HKTB shared insights into the latest tourism trends and its work plan for the coming year.

“The fifth wave of the pandemic is subsiding,” said HKTB Chairman Dr. Y K Pang in his opening remarks. “Hong Kong’s daily life and economic activities are now gradually returning to normal, allowing us to stage large-scale events and prepare to welcome back visitors.”

He noted that throughout the pandemic, Hong Kong “never stopped building and upgrading its tourism infrastructure.” The city will see the grand opening of the Hong Kong Palace Museum in summer 2022. And the third runway at Hong Kong International Airport is expected to go into service within the next couple of years.

In his presentation of the work plan for the coming year, HKTB Executive Director Dane Cheng described how the HKTB will focus first on generating a positive ambience in the city. ‘Hong Kong Summer Treats’, a new campaign, will provide a wide range of discounts and promotional offerings starting with ‘Arts in Hong Kong’, a campaign that supports international art and cultural events, like Art Basel.

And as more social distancing measures are eased, the HKTB will arrange more top events in phases, including the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival and Hong Kong WinterFest, and give its support to other high-profile events such as the Hong Kong Sevens.

Cheng stressed the importance of ensuring a recovery at home in the run-up to the return of worldwide visitors. “These promotions will generate a positive ambience in Hong Kong and demonstrate how we have returned to normal. The HKTB will then launch extensive promotions, including the tactical ‘Open House Hong Kong’ campaign, to welcome back visitors when the time is right. To better respond to market needs, we will also strive to enhance the visitor journey into a seamless experience through a comprehensive digital transformation.”

Hong Kong is still well-loved by travellers worldwide, he added, citing the HKTB’s research into 16 feeder markets. “They have specifically identified some major driving factors to visit Hong Kong, including cleanliness, local culture, in-depth experiences, unique cuisine, high accessibility, and ease of communications. These factors are not only core strengths of Hong Kong but also match the trends and tastes of the post-COVID travel era.”

To read Travelweek’s interview with the HKTB’s Director, Canada, Central & South Americas, Michael Lim, click here.