Hong Kong Tourism Board HKTB Prepares for Travel Reopening

Hong-Kong-Tourism-Board-prepares-for-reopening-of-vacation

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has announced its system to prepare for the recovery of tourism and the resumption of travel around the world.

The strategic plan describes the division of a budget of HK $ 1,138 billion (£ 127 million) for the next financial year, which has been divided into two phases.

The short-term strategy will focus on encouraging international visitors to return to Hong Kong as soon as possible.

When borders are reopened and global travel resumes, HKTB will launch “Open House Hong Kong,” a campaign designed to restore visitor arrivals through tactical offers and exclusive experiences.

In the medium and long term, HKTB is conducting a comprehensive review of Hong Kong tourism branding and positioning.

Following the resumption of travel, HKTB will launch large-scale promotions across multiple channels, including digital platforms in key source markets, as well as media cooperatives and tour operators to present Hong Kong’s reinvented tourism image.

Additionally, HKTB will develop multi-destination partnerships with Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities such as Macau and Guangzhou.

These partnerships will enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as a gateway to mainland China and build on the GBA tourism brand.

The plan’s two-phase approach will complement ongoing initiatives to support the travel, cruise and MICE industries, as well as to maintain Hong Kong’s international exposure.

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HKTB CEO Dane Cheng said: “Despite the start of Covid-19 vaccinations around the world, the pandemic situation remains volatile and unpredictable.

“We believe that Hong Kong is unlikely to see a full resumption of cross-border travel in the next three to six months.

“However, we hope that Hong Kong will be able to receive tourists from selected markets.”

He added: “In formulating our strategies for 2021/22, we focus on two main areas.

“First, we saw the need to support trade and boost the environment in Hong Kong, while ensuring the city’s continued exposure on the international stage before international travel resumes.

“Second, we anticipate that competition for tourists will be intense once the pandemic is over, with rival markets doing their best to attract visitors.

“Therefore, the HKTB is setting aside resources for large-scale promotions to make Hong Kong stand out from competing destinations.”

Hong Kong has been relatively unaffected by Covid-19, with just 202 deaths, but has seen a major disruption to international travel as China closed borders to guests in early 2020.

The city has also been rocked by major political protests against growing Chinese influence in recent months, with protesters demanding a return to the democratic norms set out in the constitution.