HKTB's Michael Lim & Karisa Lui
Tour East's Marc Atchison & Steve Hope, with Michael Lim
Norman Lee, Jade Tours; Rosanna Panetta, Air Canada; & Patrick Tsung, GLP Worldwide Expedition
Benny Cheung, Annie Ho and Jennifer Kay Chan representing several different Chinese Business Associations
Banquets have been feasted upon and lucky red envelopes received as most Chinese New Year festivities have come to an end. But there’s always time for one last hurrah – the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s annual appreciation event.
“There’s a Chinese saying, that it is never too late to bring in Chinese New Year greetings, if you have the heart to do so,” said HKTB’s Assistant Marketing Manager, Karisa Lui, in her welcoming speech. “Even the 10th month, October, can still be a good time to celebrate.”
100 guests including travel agents, tour operators, airline reps and Chinese business associations gathered at Toronto’s Hyatt Regency and nibbled on savoury Chinese delicacies including dumplings, spring rolls, chow mein and chicken satay as they networked in advance of the evening’s formal agenda.
Gloria Lo, Director of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office gave a quick briefing on some of the city’s new and upcoming developments. According to Lo, Hong Kong is prepared to host some of the cruise industry’s megaships since the 1st berth at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal was opened last June. The 2nd berth is expected to be ready later this year. 2015 will see the launch of a new express rail line travelling between Macau, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. And by 2016, a bridge connecting Macau, Hong Kong and Zhuhai, China will also see completion.
Hong Kong achieved a record with over 400,000 Canadian visitors in 2012, but the number dropped by 9.8% in 2013. “There was a decrease in flight capacity and an increase to other Asian cities,” said Michael Lim, HKTB’s Director for Canada. But with a jam packed 2014 events calendar, the construction of new hotels and the development of new and diverse tours and packages, the HKTB is optimistic they will attract more Canadians this year.
To enlist more support from the trade, an exclusive website was recently launched (http://partnernet.hktb.com) and the Hong Kong Specialist Program will be introduced in April, with an incentive for early enrollment. The site features a selection of brand new product with tours that have been hand selected and approved by the HKTB. They are all created and run by local operators, and most importantly, they’re fully commissionable.
“Don’t rush, please stay longer and allow yourself to enjoy all the beautiful places of Hong Kong,” said Lo.
With the help of the HKTB, this is advice you can pass along to your clients.
