Royal Intel - Tourism Intelligence Consultants » Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s “Year of Festival and Culture” Theme Aimed at Increasing Japanese Arrivals

Lara — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:55:05 +0000

Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) disclosed that year-to-date total of Japanese visitors to the nation state through September was 878,670, down 9.3% from last year’s estimate. Four months, from April to July, had witnessed a down turn in the number of arrivals, which the HKTB attributed to anxieties that characterized the industry over fears over a re-emergence of A(H1N1) influenza.

Despite the jittery expressed, the months of August and September saw an increase of 1.5% and 4% respectively, while October estimates were flat. At a meeting of Hong Kong Tour Operators’ Council held on October 28, HKTB’s Regional Director-North Asia, Kunio Kano, expressed his hope that the 9.3% year-to-date decline up to September will narrow to nearly 5% at the end of the year. Uplifting the growth trend will however require a need to provide unique experience opportunities to Hong Kong. In this regard, HKTB has set forth an annual theme dubbed “Year of Festival and Culture” for 2010, which is aimed at highlighting cultural aspects that demonstrates Hong Kong’s creativity. Already seven or eight big MICE groups of more than 500 people each are scheduled to visit Hong Kong this winter from Japan, more than usual for the season.

This is according to HKTB’s Senior Marketing Executive East Japan, Go Furuya, in-charge of HKTB’s MICE-oriented organization “Meeting and Exhibition Hong Kong (MEHK)”. The dominant organizers appear to be in the business line of multi-level distributors or ceremonial function performers.

Source: Travel Vision Weekly at www.travelvisionweekly.com

Hong Kong Sets Eyes on India’s Leisure and Cruise Segment Potentials

Lara — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:42:18 +0000

Hong Kong is looking at focused at promoting cruise vacations. In this regard, the semi-autonomous state is embarking at developing a new cruise terminal with an investment of HKD 7.2 billion with operations set to start in 2013. With this new terminal, the berth is expected to handle two mega vessels with facilities like immigrations, shopping, dining and entertainment etc, and where this new terminal and homeport will act as an added benefit to Hong Kong as a choice destination.

According to the Commissioner for Tourism, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Margaret Fong, there are already about 20 confirmed sailings from Hong Kong to Taiwan for itineraries of five night, six days and four nights, five days and as well as new vessels home porting. The minister enthuses that the overall investments made in the State’s tourism industry will definitely attract visitors from different countries, more so visitors from India. Indeed Hong Kong is aggressively looking at tapping the outbound segment from India by targeting the leisure and family, MICE and cruise segments. The overall strategy espoused by the Tourism Ministry of Hong Kong is to promote the destination aggressively in short haul destinations like India, Russia and Mainland China because that is where growth potentials exist.

In reference to India, the Commissioner for Tourism notes the dip of 3.5% in Indian visitors, but where that is rapidly changing as travel sentiments are beginning to re-surface hence the targeting of leisure and cruise segments for the India market. From the year 2005 to 2008, the family segment for Hong Kong has witnessed 40% growth. To promote the destination in the Indian market, the stake holders of the tourism industry are incurring significant amount of investments to attract visitors. Disneyland Hong Kong, for instance, already offers four different theme lands within the park and is in the process of adding three more which are likely to start operations in the next three to four years. Other attractions such as Ocean Park and Ng Ping 360 are also adding more attractions within for the family, leisure and also the MICE markets.

Hong Kong is also looking at attracting tourists through international signature events in the city. For this, Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Executive Director, Anthony Lau, notes that a fund for mega events worth HKD 100 million has been set up in order to help attract non profitable organizations to aide in organizing such events within the realms of art, culture and sports. Estimates already note that visitor arrivals to Hong Kong reached 2,250,718 in September 2009, 2.5% more than in the same period last year. Cumulatively, arrivals from January to September totaled 21,159,973, with the year-to-date shortfall further improved from -3.4% in August to -2.8% in September. The increase in arrivals in September was mainly driven by continued gain in Mainland China, as well as seasonal growth in South and Southeast Asia.

Source: TravelBiz monitor.com at www.travelbizmonitor.com

Hong Kong Awards AOC to TAG Aviation Asia

Tue — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:56:15 +0000

Switzerland’s TAG Aviation Holding’s subsidiary, TAG Aviation Asia, has been granted the coveted Hong Kong Air Operator’s Certificate (Hong Kong AOC) by the Civil Aviation Department. This accreditation comes in the wake of the company’s effort at expanding its aircraft charter, aircraft management, aircraft completion monitoring, and aircraft brokerage services in the country.

According to the Civil Aviation Department of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, an aircraft registered in Hong Kong may not fly for the purpose of public transport unless the operator holds an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) granted by Director-General of Civil Aviation. Granting of an AOC by the Director-General is cognizant of an applicant’s previous conduct and experience, equipment, organization, staffing, maintenance, and other arrangements. The AOC award to TAG Aviation Asia, therefore, attests to the carrier’s competence regarding its ability to conduct safe operations.

The carrier recognizes that by becoming an air operator in Hong Kong it has accomplished a major milestone and seeks to grow its business and that of the aviation industry to cater for the increasing demand in the Greater China region. In a response to growing demand for services and to facilitate the expansion, the carrier has hired additional staff and moved into larger offices in Wanchai.

In welcoming TAG Aviation Asia’s business expansion, the head of transportation at Invest Hong Kong, Mr. Benjamin Wong, notes that the carrier’s continued investment and expansion in the city is an illustration of the opportunities in, and strong support of, Hong Kong’s aviation industry in the face of the current economic challenges. With growing interest from the Greater China region, much optimistic about the long-term development of the aviation industry in Hong Kong is therefore expected a consequence.

The recognition of the quality of service provided by companies like TAG Aviation Asia in Hong Kong helps strengthen the industry and the city’s position as a regional aviation hub. Established in Hong Kong in 2006, TAG Aviation Asia is responsible for the Asian expansion of parent company TAG Aviation’s global business aircraft services. TAG Aviation Asia offers its clients the benefits of centralized aircraft operations support and local service to Asian clients and joins a network of TAG subsidiaries around the world in locations in the USA and in Europe. The company currently operates over 200 business aircraft worldwide. Having obtained the Hong Kong AOC, TAG Aviation Asia is now able to offer commercial flights to their clients in Hong Kong-registered aircraft amid the adverse economic climate.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips.com at www.asiatraveltips.com

Asians Still Passionate about Travel

Lynnette — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:59:46 +0000

According to the latest survey by Visa, travel remains the top personal passion of the Asia’s affluent consumers as personal interests continue to be driven by new sights, tastes, and sounds. As indicated by study, one-off big purchases are less vulnerable to economic fluctuations hence passions are long-term pursuits that will most likely outlast the current financial crisis.

Of the more than 4,000 people surveyed in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, China, Australia, India, and Japan, 73% of respondents reveal travel to be their top personal interest in the next couple of years, followed by food (43%), along with music and cars, which are tied at the third spot with 31%.

Japan (34%), Australia (29%), and the United States (26%) are the popular travel destinations among Asia’s affluent flyers as revealed by the study.

Source: Reuters at www.reuters.com

TravelMole: Bird Flu Scare for Hong Kong’s Ocean Park

Tue — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 04:56:14 +0000

HONG KONG | One of Hong Kong’s major tourist attractions, Ocean Park, has closed its aviary for three weeks from last Thursday after a heron there tested positive for bird flu. A preliminary test on the carcass of a black-crowned heron showed it had the H5 virus and further tests were being conducted, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said in a statement.

The move means the aviary will be closed throughout Lunar New Year, a busy period at the park. “We will monitor the situation closely and review the closure period as necessary,” a spokesman said. The heron is a common visitor to Hong Kong in the winter period.

New figures show that Hong Kong visitor arrivals in 2007 reached a record high of 28,169,293, an increase of 11.6 percent on the 25.25 million arrivals welcomed in 2006. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) said all long and short-haul market regions showed positive gains in 2007. Arrivals from Mainland China passed the 15 million mark for the first time to reach 15,485,789, 13.9 percent more than in 2006 and 55 percent of the 2007 total, while non-Mainland arrivals also registered notable gain of 8.8 percent at 12,683,504.

Short-haul markets, South & Southeast Asia, enjoyed solid gain of 8.6 percent to become Hong Kong’s second largest source market region.

Source: TravelMole at www.travelmole.com