Update | Hong Kong urged to draw visitors from India, Southeast Asia after HK$80m tourism boost
Tourism Board should follow up on roadshow's success and turn its attention to Southeast Asia, industry veteran says
Hong Kong should promote itself more in India and Southeast Asia, a tourism veteran suggested, as the city's financial chief pledged HK$80 million for tourism promotions after the Occupy protests and disappointing Lunar New Year visitor numbers.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board will get the multimillion cash injection for this year-16 so it can step up promotion efforts and restore tourists’ confidence in Hong Kong, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said in his budget speech yesterday.
The Tourism Board had previously launched a roadshow in Asia – including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea – after the Occupy pro-democracy protests ended, while airlines and tour agencies offered discounted tour packages to Hong Kong.
These initiatives had an effect. The number of Asian visitors to Hong Kong rose about 5 per cent year on year during the Lunar New Year holiday – despite an overall dip in total visitor numbers, particularly due to a dip in mainland Chinese tourists.
The number of Indian tourists, for example, rose 18.7 per cent from a year ago. About 516,000 Indians visited Hong Kong in the whole of last year, accounting for less than 1 per cent of total visitors.
The Tourism Board should follow up on its success and turn its attention to Southeast Asia, especially India, Travel Industry Council chairman Michael Wu Siu-ieng said.
