Global Visibility
Alongside cheerleading local ambience and organising mega events, the HKTB hoped to proactively uphold Hong Kong’s tourism competitiveness by sustaining the visibility of the city in global markets to stay on worldwide travellers’ radar amidst the intense regional competition for visitors as foreseen. The HKTB addressed the global consumers’ new travel demands with its promotions on Hong Kong’s core experiences, while continuing to invite its community of Hong Kong Super Fans, a group of personalities with Hong Kong connections in visitor source markets or expats living in Hong Kong, to share their positive words- of-mouth to broadcast the positive stories and their love to Hong Kong to visitor source markets through their mass network of fans and followers. On the other hand, the HKTB entered strategic media partnership and rolled out a series of consumer campaigns with specific target segments to maintain Hong Kong’s presence globally, with a view to presenting Hong Kong as a travel destination that has stayed exciting and diverse and bringing back travellers’ fond memories of Hong Kong.
360 Hong Kong Moments – Answering New Travel Trends
While the global pandemic has reshaped the global tourism landscapes, new tourism trends such as consumers’ increased interests in green and wellness tourism, arts and cultural lifestyle, and authentic local culture have taken a more crucial role in maintaining the tourism appeal of a travel destination. As such, the HKTB capitalised on Hong Kong’s uniqueness as a metropolis in nature and its East-meets-West culture to display the city’s offerings in response to the new trends. Following the launch of the “360 Hong Kong Moments” series in 2020, the HKTB developed a series of engaging contents on Hong Kong’s authentic neighbourhood, scenic harbour, great outdoors, and tireless urban appeal by expanding the series, directing globetrotters’ attention to Hong Kong – a destination that meets all of their newfound travel demands.
Applying the latest 360-degree virtual reality technique and real-time interactive virtual tours, 360 Hong Kong Moments created an immersive journey through content marketing to engage global audiences with the iconic travel experiences that Hong Kong has to off er – wellness, harbour, nightlife, art, and entertainment – in addition to the previously introduced themes of neighbourhood, food and shopping. The “360 Hong Kong Moments” reached 9.4 million viewers on social media. To maximise the immersive experience to those who could not visit Hong Kong in person, 12 ASMR videos showcased the various facades of the city’s natural landscape in different seasons as they highlight a selection of natural destinations in Hong Kong such as Peng Chau, Sai Kung, Lai Chi Wo and New Territories Cycling Trails.
To maximise the immersive experience to those who could not visit Hong Kong in person, 12 ASMR videos showcased the various facades of the city’s natural landscape in diff erent seasons as they highlight a selection of natural destinations in Hong Kong such as Peng Chau, Sai Kung, Lai Chi Wo and New Territories Cycling Trails.
Inspired by the series, the HKTB partnered with Japanese travel agency Panda Travel `Agency to present the hiking experience of Hong Kong and the unparalleled ease of enjoying city life in minutes after their natural experience through an award-winning vlog “Ossan’s Hong Kong – Great Outdoors”. Riding on the increasing interest in the life of charismatic middle-aged men in Japan, two “common uncles” documented their journey of visiting Fei Ngo Shan and the surrounding local eateries through public transport from first-person, panoramic and 3D points of view. The video was well received among Japanese trade partners and has won the most votes from consumers in the “Superb Views” of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) Online Tour Award.
Hong Kong Super Fans
Since its launch in early 2021, the HKTB’s Hong Kong Super Fans has grown into a worldwide community with more than 600 fans and friends of Hong Kong from all around the world with a network of 101 million social followers. Through the genuine sharing and active engagement of the Super Fans with their diverse backgrounds and interest focus, they provided the worldwide audience an insiders’ perspective on the charm of Hong Kong through local, regional, and global media.
Love for My Home．Hong Kong
Riding on Taste of Home．Hong Kong, the HKTB partnered with Hong Kong’s longest-operating TV broadcaster TVB to create another series of real-life story documentaries Love for My Home．Hong Kong of expats from around the world finding Hong Kong an ideal location for their career and personal life away from home. Featuring Malaysian Cantopop singer Gin Lee, Hong Kong Film Award Winner and Japanese composer Hatano Yusuke, Australian Wing Chun master Nima King, Artistic Director of Hong Kong Dance Company Yang Yuntao, and former Olympic volleyball medalist Sun Yue, the series demonstrated how the city’s core strengths in various aspects allowed elite expats to develop their careers, from cinematographic music and performing arts to sports.
The programme successfully rekindled the mainland and overseas audiences’ love of Hong Kong through a first-hand account of how the expats fell in love with the city. The programme was also broadcast and rerun through TVB’s global network to reach audience in Southeast Asia, the USA, Australia, Canada, the UK and Europe.
Wok The World
The HKTB also leveraged Hong Kong Super Fans’ personal presence and influence beyond Hong Kong to highlight city’s status as an international city with a strong connection with various markets. The HKTB partnered with CJ ENM to broadcast a new season of Wok the World in three 24-minute episodes on the regional TV channels tvN Asia and Viu, which have an extensive reach in key Southeast Asian markets including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and India and Taiwan, attracting a viewership of 16 million. In the series, Super Fans chef Eric Chong and his mentor, television sensation “Demon Chef” Alvin Leung of Bo Innovation, took the show’s viewers on a multi-destination journey to explore the unique flavours in three Hong Kong neighbourhoods, namely West Kowloon, Old Town Central, and Sai Kong, and other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) such as Macao, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Shunde, and Foshan.
Bridging the Hong Kong Experience with the Oceania
Similarly, celebrity chefs and HKTB’s Hong Kong Super Fans Gary Mehigan and Manu Feildel recreated some of Hong Kong’s quintessential experiences in Sydney to inspire Australians to discover the best of Hong Kong at home on Sydney Weekenders on Australian national broadcaster Channel 7. The duo recreated the Hong Kong experiences of pu erh tea tasting, dragon boat race, lion dance, and the wellness class of taichi in Sydney. The programme reached a total of 400,000 viewers and 1.3 million social media users . In addition, the HKTB partnered with Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific to giveaway return flights between Sydney and Hong Kong and 4-night stay packages at The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong to viewers of Sydney Weekenders in a lucky draw.
Strategic Media Partnership
On top of the endorsement of the Hong Kong Super Fans and 360 Hong Kong Moments, the HKTB enlisted a line-up of influential national, regional and international media to broadcast specifically made TV programmes to allow the well-loved experiences of Hong Kong to further penetrate various visitor source markets, displaying the city’s appeal from culinary sensations to the wide range of outdoor activities available, keeping visitors in source markets warm about visiting Hong Kong when travel resumed.
Sailing in the Greater Bay Area
With the geographical advantage, the GBA is one of Hong Kong’s largest visitor source markets. Many in the GBA have visited Hong Kong before and it is anticipated that they have been looking forward to returning to Hong Kong when travel resumes. Therefore, the HKTB also leverage broadcasters’ reach on the Mainland to reconnect with GBA consumers.
Celebrating the new year of 2022, the HKTB worked with renowned singer Hacken Lee in producing a congratulatory music video set in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District for CCTV’s 2022 New Year Concert Sailing in the Greater Bay Area to share the festivity of Hong Kong with viewers in GBA as well as Mainland while introducing the new cultural landmark. The concert was broadcast to 40 billion viewers in the Mainland markets.
CJ ENM Partnership
Beyond the Greater China region, the HKTB also targeted to help Hong Kong penetrate other Asian markets more effectively through mass media exposure, and signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding for 2022-2024 with South Korean media group CJ ENM, one of Asia’s industry leaders, to produce dramas and variety TV shows set in Hong Kong, which have a wide and loyal fan base in Asia, in order to promote Hong Kong as a travel destination with diverse offerings. The HKTB was the first tourism organisation to enter a strategic partnership of the kind with CJ ENM.
The partnership would encourage audiences to relive the trails from some of their favourite scenes from these K-dramas and shows at authentic locations in Hong Kong and would help drive tourism recovery when travel resumes. CJ ENM’s highly popular original content is currently available across more than 200 countries, and has been viewed worldwide through partnerships with some of the world’s most popular streaming platforms.
Voyaging in Hong Kong in Netherlands
To maintain the exposure of the Hong Kong experiences among consumers in long-haul markets, the HKTB also rolled out promotions in Europe. The HKTB invited Cheung Chang-ju, a Hong Kong TV personality living in the Netherlands, to explore Hong Kong culture on his show Chang on national TV channel AT5. In five in-depth episodes, Chang reconnected with his heritage through the five themes of Chinese New Year, the Hakka culture, Cantonese opera, Wing Chun and the Tanka culture in Tai O. Chang’s exploration was covered in other media, such as popular talk show De Sociëteit and national radio NPO.
Targeting Emerging Segments
As new travel trends emerge, the HKTB understood that visitors would expect a travel experience with more customisation that could better serve their travel needs than what they used to before the pandemic. In view of the increased demand for customised experiences, the HKTB worked with trade partners in key visitor source markets to roll out market-specific consumer promotions targeting various consumer segments.
Muslim Market in Southeast Asia: Ramadan in Hong Kong
As Hong Kong has been developing the Muslim travel segment and positioning Hong Kong as a Muslim-friendly destination before the pandemic hit in, the HKTB featured local and expat Muslims in the “Ramadan in Hong Kong” promotions, showing Muslim travellers in Indonesia and Malaysia how they can observe the holy month of Ramadan while travelling in Hong Kong.
Through popular Muslim content partners such as Have Halal, Will Travel and HalalTrip, Muslims in Hong Kong shared how they celebrate Ramadan in Hong Kong, such as sharing her Ramadan recipe by Malaysian chef Ili Sulaiman and the inter-cultural life of variety show sensation and Malaysian singer Shila Amzah, who have lived in Hong Kong for 3 years for her Chinese singing career. The promotions generated 110 media clippings in SEA markets.
High-Yield Segment in SEA: Indulge in Hong Kong
Another growing segment in Southeast Asian markets that the HKTB has been working on is the high-yield segment in the region. “Indulge in Hong Kong” was rolled out to appeal to this segment with a series of luxurious travel experiences that Hong Kong has to offer, co-operating with high-end media partners such as Esquire, Prestige, and Elle. Identifying fine dining as one of high-yield travellers’ preference in post-pandemic travels, the HKTB teamed up with the Michelin Guide in illustrating the city’s culinary experiences a four-part video series “Hong Kong Chef’s Playbook”, where four Michelin starred chefs in Hong Kong shared their inspirations, culinary tips and how Hong Kong’s environment and its local produce shaped their culinary journey. More than 32 million viewers were reached online and the promotion was reported in more than 180 media coverage.
Fostering Connection through Consumer Participation
To foster a sense of connection to Hong Kong among consumers who have yet to visit Hong Kong during travel restrictions, the HKTB also included interactive and engaging elements in its market promotions to allow consumers to actively participate in the Hong Kong experiences.
Religious Visitors in Thailand: Temples of Hong Kong Virtual Tours
Leveraging the cultural similarity in religion between Hong Kong and Thai consumers, the HKTB curated a temple- themed virtual tour, which encouraged Thai consumers to consider Hong Kong for cultural exchange. The Thai travel trade partners covered Wong Tai Sin Temple, Kwun Yam Temple in Hung Hom and Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin on the online pilgrimage. More than 13,000 from Thailand participated in the tour. More than 13,000 visitors embarked on the virtual pilgrimage.
Japan: #10 Curious Things to do in Hong Kong
In north Asia where the pandemic situation was still unstable during 2021/22, the HKTB turned to digital consumer promotions to keep Hong Kong in the mind of Japanese consumers. As a lover of Hong Kong, actor Shingo Fujimori led a series of video tours around ten of his favourite places in Hong Kong and shared his trips on social networking sites. He then invited the netizens to vote among the ten places they would want to visit most after travel resumes. The video tours and the voting were both well received. The voting reached 37 million consumers in Japan and Fujimori’s tour recorded 350,000 views on YouTube.
South Korea: Shinsegae Partnership “I Miss Travelleing in HK
The HKTB invited the South Korean public to recall their fond memories of Hong Kong in a consumer competition hosted in partnership with Shinsegae Department Store. The Korean public were invited to share videos about their memories of Hong Kong, and selected videos were displayed on a media wall at the duty free shop DFS in the department store.