The Hong Kong Tourism Board will allocate 75 per cent of its resources to overseas markets this year to diversify visitor demographics and attract more overnight high spenders. Executive director Anthony Lau Chun-hon noted the difficulty in convincing day-trippers from nearby mainland Chinese cities to stay overnight. The board plans to launch a global campaign by the end of April.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board unveiled its work plan for this year on Wednesday, announcing it would allocate 75 per cent of its funding to overseas markets. This shift aims to diversify visitor demographics and draw more overnight high spenders, moving away from reliance on day-trippers from nearby mainland Chinese cities. Board executive director Anthony Lau Chun-hon said: “It is not an easy task to convince those visitors who only plan for a day trip to Hong Kong to stay overnight.” He added: “If so, why don’t we focus on attracting more visitors from farther away or overseas?” In addition to major markets, the board will intensify efforts in Asean countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia, the Middle East, India, and potential European markets like Italy and Spain. The board revealed plans for a new global campaign by the end of April, promoting Hong Kong as a unique world city via social media, advertisements on regional broadcasters, and billboards in selected countries. As a government-subvented body, this resource reallocation marks a strategic pivot in visitor targeting.
