Integrated communication campaigns with market-specific elements

• Publicity value generated by all Old Town Central-related campaign and publicity: over HK$15 million
• Publicity value generated by the Hong Kong Arts Month integrated campaign: HK$7.4 million
• Number of Thai cyclists participating in the Hong Kong Cyclothon: 110

In conjunction with major events and promotional windows, the HKTB rolled out creative integrated campaigns across the region.

Leveraging our global PR initiative, “20 of the Best in Hong Kong’s Old Town Central”, expatriates from the five Southeast Asian markets who were living in Hong Kong were featured to attract media interest. Around 200 print and TV features encompassing local culture, street art and history were generated.

During Hong Kong Arts Month in March 2018, we invited four Indonesian influencers from the arts and lifestyle sectors to explore the city’s glamorous art scene. Together with three top Indonesian media outlets, the trip generated extensive media coverage across print, online and social platforms covering the Indonesian, Singaporean and Thai markets. A community gathering with the renowned Indonesian curator Vivi Yip was also held to engage the local arts community and collectors.

Since cycling activities are popular in Thailand, we actively promoted the Hong Kong Cyclothon in the market and successfully attracted many avid Thai cyclists to join the event, including two famous Thai cyclists, Vanitcha Mint and Nick Sagarik, who subsequently shared their experience with a wide range of Thai media and on their social media accounts. Related travel packages were launched to draw sports enthusiasts from Thailand.

Hong Kong Live in Kula Lumpur

• Publicity value generated by the Hong Kong Live in Kuala Lumpur promotion: HK$3.4 million

To promote Hong Kong as a Muslim-friendly destination and showcase its latest offerings, we joined hands with eight key attractions to organise a large-scale six-day promotion at Suria KLCC, a premier shopping mall in Malaysia. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the HKSAR, Mr Rimsky Yuen, the then Secretary of Justice of the HKSAR Government, was invited to officiate at the event with a Malaysian Muslim celebrity family, Awal Ashaari, Scha Alyahya and their daughter. A Muslim corner was set up displaying Hong Kong’s Muslim-friendly offerings. Exclusive Hong Kong packages were offered to consumers by Malaysia’s top travel agencies and airlines.

Extensive trade collaboration and promotion

• Air ticket sales performance under co-op with Singapore Airlines and Klook: year-on-year increase of over 40%

As many Southeast Asian visitors like travelling en famille, we launched a total of eight “Hong Kong Family Fun” campaigns in the five markets during the year in partnership with travel agents and airlines to attract families during school holidays. In Thailand, we participated in the Thailand International Travel Fair together with 10 travel agents and launched special deals on airfares, hotels and attractions. We also engaged Hong Kong-based Thai lifestyle and parenting social influencer, “Eat Like 852”, to share her recommendations on Hong Kong food and family activities from a mom’s perspective.

In the Philippines, we joined two of the biggest consumer travel fairs, namely Travel Madness Expo and Travel Tour Expo, to arouse consumer awareness and promote package sales. Leveraging the HKTB’s promotional windows including Old Town Central and Great Outdoors Hong Kong, we cooperated with AirAsia and Singapore Airlines as well as online travel booking platform Klook to roll out special fare promotions in Malaysia and Singapore respectively. In Indonesia, a consortium of five top travel agents was formed to raise awareness and boost sales of multi-destination travel packages featuring Hong Kong, Macao, Shenzhen and Zhuhai.

Fostering trade partnership to promote MICE tourism

• Number of meeting and incentive companies joining the two corporate dinners: 90

With four emerging markets, Southeast Asia presents great potential for MICE tourism. During the year, we organised a four-day trip so that over 25 MICE travel agents from the market region could meet with over 90 Hong Kong trade partners and experience Hong Kong’s MICE offerings.

We also co-hosted two corporate dinners with Garuda Indonesia and Cathay Pacific to showcase Hong Kong as an ideal meeting and incentive destination to Indonesian corporations.