'HK to roll out various strategies in response to changing travellers' behaviour,' says HKTB's chief

Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB)'s chief Dane Cheng said the authorities have to roll out various strategies in response to the change in travellers' behaviours.

Cheng said on a radio programme on CRHK on Saturday, that Chinese tourists have opted for "in-depth" local experiences rather than shopping luxurious items lately.

That's why the HKTB has been partnering with Xiaohongshu to invite influencers to share their authentic experiences in Hong Kong with Chinese tourists. According to Cheng, over 95% of the Hong Kong-related content on Xiaohongshu is positive.

In 2023, HKTB and Xiaohungshu launched a series of campaigns including "Hong Kong Travel Time Machine" (香港旅行時光機), "Art Travel to Hong Kong" (藝起遊香港) and the "Hong Kong Citywalk Guide" (香港漫步指南), introducing the culture and major events in Hong Kong.

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Looking from a global perspective, Cheng also said Hong Kong is facing a fierce competition in terms of tourism, especially from Japan and the rest of Asia.

According to local news RTHK, HKTB is preparing a series of new incentives in the summer to attract long-haul visitors, including those from Europe and America.

Furthermore, following the great success of the Doraemon drone show in May, the board will set “anywhere doors” at ten photo-taking hotspots in Hong Kong for tourists.

“Particularly with the new measure that China is increasingly opening up visa-free visits from a lot of the overseas countries. That would give Hong Kong tremendous advantages, because people can come to Hong Kong, and then from Hong Kong going into the mainland,” Cheng said.

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In terms of the recent hospitality campaign in Hong Kong, Cheng said the introduction of the campaign did not reflect Hongkongers are rude, but instead they focus more on efficiency, "I will not consider Hongkongers as rude as we focus more on life efficiency, we just pay less attention in smiling and saying hi," he added.

The campaign, themed “Let’s go the extra mile” (做多一步 好客之道) will cover F&B, retail and transport sectors. It will include a new TV promotion that casts Koo, Tang, as well as actors Jessica Hsuan (宣萱), Kevin Chu (朱鑑然), Tony Wu (胡子彤), Hins Ng (吳肇軒), Hazel Lam (林熙彤) and Hillary Lau (劉沛蘅). 

The actors will portray various characters in common service scenarios, such as cha chaan teng waiters and diners, sneaker salesman and clients, and taxi drivers and passengers. The video aims to show how Hongkongers can better demonstrate the spirit of hospitality by going the extra mile with small gestures.

On the other hand, Cheng said the HKTB has received many complaints regarding the absence of digital payment options on local taxis. He said Hong Kong has to catch up quickly in this regard.

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