TravTalk India Online Magazine
Hong Kong Tourism Board is welcoming visitors with programs tailored to leisure, business, and MICE travellers. Aiming to promote Hong Kong effectively, the Board has launched the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign offering 500,000 free tickets, with a special allocation for India.
Janice Alyosius
Hong Kong is a unique destination that attracts visitors from around the world due to its blend of Eastern and Western cultures. It has become a popular destination for leisure, business, and MICE travellers alike, offering a range of attractions and programs tailored to each segment.
Puneet Kumar, Director, South Asia & Middle East, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), spoke about the board’s efforts to welcome visitors to Hong Kong. “HKTB has launched separate programs for each segment, including the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign for leisure travellers, which offers 500,000 free tickets, with an allocation specifically set aside for India. The Airport Authority and Cathay Pacific will work together to distribute these tickets, while the HKTB will promote the campaign and create trade partnerships. Additionally, visitors will be given access to digital Hong Kong goodies worth around $100, which they can redeem upon arrival by scanning a QR code at participating outlets,” he said.
Connectivity
Cathay Pacific operates flights to India with a focus on short-haul markets that have flight durations of three to four hours. Vistara recently announced plans to connect Hong Kong with Delhi, while other carriers are also planning deployments in the second half of this year. Kumar said, “This will provide a sweet pricing opportunity, which can open up Hong Kong tourism to many segments who previously didn’t consider it due to high airfare.”
Focus segments
The India market brings a diverse range of segments such as families, honeymooners, cruise travellers, MICE attendees, and exhibition delegates who participate in events such as the Gems and Jewellery Show and Toy Fair, shared Kumar. He expressed excitement about the India market and shared that the HKTB has been involved in the market for the past three years, primarily through virtual means with a few hybrid events. However, the recent campaign and the opening of Hong Kong presented a significant opportunity to engage with the India market more effectively. The HKTB conducted two city roadshows in Mumbai and Delhi, where 14 Hong Kong trade partners met with over 70 local travel agents who specialise in MICE. They provided updates on products, destinations, and the latest happenings in Hong Kong, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. “HKTB plans to prioritize certain regions for market outreach, with Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru being the top priority due to the availability of direct air capacity. The focus will be on the leisure and MICE segments, and once cruises resume out of Hong Kong, HKTB plans to target the cruise segment,”
he shared.
Plans ahead
The HKTB’s approach will be highly progressive, closely tied to the return of air capacity. “Currently, Cathay Pacific operates at 30 per cent of the pre-pandemic air capacity between India and Hong Kong, with plans to increase to 75 per cent by the end of the year. The next increase in frequency and flights is projected to take place around August. The HKTB has conducted a two-city roadshow to provide updates and announcements, and they plan to collaborate with leading tour operators and regional travel agents through joint co-ops. The HKTB will launch a MICE e-training program in the first week of April to provide corporate clients with in-depth knowledge about MICE developments, venues, hotels, new attractions, MICE itineraries, new themes, and team-building activities. This will allow corporate clients to refresh the way they sell and promote Hong Kong” shared Kumar.
