Strengthening Hong Kong as an event capital, continuing to develop the Greater Bay Area tourism and maintaining a close partnership with the trade are integral components of the Hong Kong Tourist Board’s travel-related plans post pandemic.

The platform planks were revealed as last week’s Hong Kong Tourism Overview 2023 event at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, which attracted more than 1,600 participants in person and online, including trade representatives from Hong Kong, China and overseas travel agencies, attractions, hotels, airlines, retailers, restaurants, meeting and exhibition operators, cruise lines, and other travel sectors.

Among the participants were Michael Lim and Yuen Kwan from HKTA’s Toronto office.

The Tourism Overview discussed tourism trends and shared details of the HKTB’s latest strategic plans.

With the theme “Striding Forward in a Steady Recovery,” Dr. Pang Yiu-kai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said, “Hong Kong has returned to normal and is welcoming back global visitors. The tourism industry will recover progressively. The Tourism Overview today is the exact platform that gathers members of the travel trade together to explore the way to revive the city’s tourism industry.

“Hong Kong is not only a destination with universal appeal and an astonishing array of attractions, but also a gateway between the Mainland and the rest of the world. We can work with neighbouring cities to build a Greater Bay Area tourism brand for the region and the international market. With the continued collaboration of all sectors, we can bring Hong Kong’s tourism to the next level of excellence.”

In his business update, HKTB Executive Director Dane Cheng, introduced the tourist board’s primary strategic focuses for the coming year:

• First, the HKTB will drive a strong recovery across all travel-related sectors while strengthening Hong Kong as an event capital.

• In addition, the HKTB will continue to develop Greater Bay Area tourism and multi-destination tourism with cities in GBA.

• And the HKTB will also maintain a close partnership with the trade to gear up and strengthen support for them, enhancing service quality.

In addition, the HKTB also invited industry leaders and international corporate representatives to share insights on the themes “A Deep Dive into the post-pandemic Mainland Travel Trends” and “Global & Regional Consumer Trends affecting Tourism in Asia in 2023”, providing multi-perspective insights into the post-pandemic trends and development of tourism and capturing new opportunities.

Among the speakers, Anson Bailey, Head of Consumer and Retail, ASPAC, KPMG China, stated: “Hong Kong is back for tourists and business, and it is expected that the APAC region will return to become the largest regional travel market by 2025.

He added, “To stay ahead of the game, the travel and retail industry should be ready to innovate and capture the opportunity to meet today’s consumers, especially the rising Gen Z consumers’ needs. Hong Kong is going to be the hub for tech and innovation, with ESG on the rise. Lastly, our people are always the key asset in showcasing the best of Hong Kong’s travel and tourism offerings.”

And Becky Ip, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTB, outlined HKTB’s market strategies, including converting more visitors into overnight travellers, captivating visitors to stay longer in Hong Kong, ramping up Hong Kong’s international exposure aggressively, and engaging visitors with the city’s new tourism appeal.

HKTB representatives from various overseas offices, including Canada’s Lim and Kwan also joined the breakout session to reconnect with the local travel trade representatives, bringing with them the latest insights from their respective markets.