HK gets tourism exposure boost thanks to tie-up with Xiaohongshu

The Hong Kong government has leveraged the power of social media to amplify its tourism exposure, with the tie-up between the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and Xiaohongshu generating more than 200 million exposure for Hong Kong tourism.  

Algernon Yau, secretary for commerce and economic development, said in a written statement in response to lawmaker Martin Liao's inquiry that, this came from the strategic partnership between the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and Xiaohongshu to launch the "Hong Kong Travel Time Machine" (香港旅行時光機) and "Art Travel to Hong Kong" (藝起遊香港) programmes in the first half of this year. 

“Since reopening, Hong Kong has topped the list of outbound travel destinations for users of the mainland online platform Xiaohongshu,” Yau said.

Furthermore, the HKTB collaborated with Xiaohongshu to launch the "Hong Kong Citywalk Guide" (香港漫步指南) in September, introducing five distinctive Hong Kong itineraries for mainland visitors to assist them in conveniently planning their trips. The itineraries cover popular tourist attractions in Hong Kong and introduce major festivals and events.

Yau said a series of “Happy Hong Kong" events launched since April this year such as the summer Harbour Chill Carnival on the Wan Chai promenade, the Cinema Day and various Gourmet Marketplaces organised in different parts of the city, have stimulated local consumption.

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Yau added that the "Night Vibes Hong Kong" campaign which commenced in September received a positive response to the campaign from various sectors in Hong Kong and will span festivities including Christmas and the New Year until early 2024. “As of 31 October, some 270,000 people have visited the night-time events at the three harbourfront sites,” Yau said. 

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Apart from stimulating local consumption, Yau said the government has also dedicated its efforts towards promoting and taking advantage of Hong Kong's unique cultural appeal as a dynamic and vibrant city, to provide residents and tourists with a diverse living experience, and enhance consumer sentiment by holding various large-scale and mega events.

More mega events will be organised in the upcoming year including the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, Harbour Chill Carnival, Hong Kong Cyclothon, Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, Hong Kong WinterFest, Art Basel Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Sevens, Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2023, Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations, and Hong Kong Chinese New Year Celebrations.

On the other hand, other large-scale outdoor festivals and cultural fairs are also coming to Hong Kong next year. For example, Complex is bringing its iconic cultural world fair ComplexCon to Hong Kong in March next year as its first-ever ComplexCon Asia edition, aiming to boost the local economy and reposition the city’s status as a regional cultural hub. 

The three-day festival will bring its unique specialty in international pop and urban culture to Hong Kong Arts Month, broadening the city’s line-up of world-class events in March 2024.

The festival, which has been hosted in Los Angeles, California since 2016, is known for its expert-led curatorial approach, defining the culture of the moment and being the launch pad of what’s coming next across fashion, art, music and technology.

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