The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has shared its short-, medium- and long-term strategies to prepare for the return of tourists, attract high-yield visitors and drive the sustainable growth of the tourism industry.
HKTB executive director Dane Cheng in a press statement said, “We consider it unlikely Hong Kong will see a full resumption of cross-border travel in the next three to six months; however, we do expect it to be possible for Hong Kong to welcome tourists from selected markets.”
He added that, in formulating the strategies for 2021 and 2022, the HKTB “saw a need to offer support to the trade and boost the ambience in Hong Kong, while ensuring the city has continued exposure on the international stage ahead of the resumption of international travel.” Cheng also noted the need for “large-scale promotions,” as he expected competition for tourists to be intense once the pandemic is over.
Here’s what to expect:
Short-Term Strategies – Focusing on bringing back visitors to Hong Kong as soon as possible
- The HKTB has been boosting local consumption and encouraging the people of Hong Kong to explore the city. When the pandemic situation has stabilized, the organization will launch a new spend-to-redeem program called “Staycation Delights” to offer an additional option for Hong Kong residents to enjoy more experiences local tourism has to offer.
- Launch a large-scale promotional platform called “Open House Hong Kong” when cross-border travel gradually resumes. The campaign will leverage exclusive experiences and citywide offers to drum up visitors’ desire to travel to Hong Kong.
- Revamp its Mainland strategies and increase marketing resources for the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to attract visitors to travel to Hong Kong for leisure.
Medium- to Long-Term Strategies – Capturing the high-yield visitor segment
- The organization will formulate a long-term promotional strategy for sustainable development of the local tourism sector. When cross-border travel gradually resumes, HKTB will launch large-scale promotions on the new tourism brand on multiple channels, including digital platforms in source markets worldwide, together with partnerships with major international media outlets to present Hong Kong’s reinvented tourism image.
- Join hands with other cities in the GBA to globally promote and build the GBA tourism brand.
- Create and enhance a digitally enabled travel experience for visitors through a one-stop e-solution platform.
Ongoing Initiatives – Supporting the trade and maintaining Hong Kong’s international exposure
- Continue to enhance the subsidy schemes and sponsor trade members’ participation in trade events to help hasten their business recovery.
- Strengthen support for the MICE and cruise sectors and their promotions and bid to host more international conferences in Hong Kong. We will provide support for the gradual resumption of cruise tourism when the global pandemic situation has stabilized.
- Organize mega events and support other events in the city to maintain Hong Kong’s international exposure.
The 2021-22 Work Plan is based on an estimate of the pace of tourism recovery. Actual deployment of resources will be subject to factors, such as the pandemic situation and progress towards the resumption of international travel and will be evaluated and adjusted according to prevailing conditions.
Visit www.discoverhongkong.com.
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