7.3.2019 TTG Show Daily ITB Berlin 18
Destination Hong Kong
Better longhaul proposition
More ways now to satiate longhaul tourists’ love for multi-destination holidays from Hong Kong. By Prudence Lui
Market trends for 2019
Richard Woss
Managing director, ATI Travel
With major cruise lines homeporting
in Hong Kong, cruise travel is getting
more popular for German visitors. We
work with European specialists and
it’s typical for them to ask us to make
arrangement for guests (wanting to
stay in the city) for two days before
or after the cruise. (This is a timely
bright spot) as Kai Tak Cruise Terminal
is now achieving critical mass since
inauguration in 2013.
Cary Chiu
General manager, PC Tours and Travel
More young German travellers are
visiting Hong Kong. Unlike (the
traditional core segment of the market),
they look for adventure like rock
climbing while some opt for experiential
tours like art and foodie tour involving a
lot of walking.
M
ajor connectivity devel-
opments in Hong Kong
have allowed travel trade
players to better leverage
tourism resources of the
Greater Bay Area and China’s mainland
cities to develop more multi-destination
itineraries, seen as a strong draw for long-
haul travellers.
Since the opening of the Hongkong-
Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) and the
Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-
Shenzhen-Hong Kong High Speed Rail
(HSR), the Hong Kong Tourism Board
(HKTB) has been encouraging the travel
trade to develop more tourism products
featuring the Greater Bay Area.
A spokesperson from HKTB said:
“Longhaul visitors to Hong Kong usually
prefer multi-destination travel. According
to the latest statistics, nearly 80 per cent of
overnight visitors from Europe including
Germany adopt multi-destination itiner-
aries. The enhanced connections between
Hong Kong and the mainland (brought
about by the) new infrastructure will
greatly enhance the city’s appeal to visi-
tors from Europe, who are able to bundle
Hong Kong with neighbouring mainland
cities in their travel plans.”
At Four Seasons Hong Kong, regional
director of marketing, Irene Tan, said: “Of
the new infrastructure projects, the devel-
opment of the cruise terminals and pro-
Hongkong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge has opened up more multi-destination itineraries
motion of routes beginning and ending in
Hong Kong have had the most noticeable
benefit to date.”
Cruising demand is “definitely coming
in” from Germany and other European
markets, and hospitality players in Hong
Kong could potentially benefit as couples
opt to spend several days in the city pre- or
post-cruise, she pointed out.
Moreover, while Europeans leisure
travellers are still most interested in ex-
ploring the popular tourist cities in north-
ern and central China – most accessible by
plane – rail travel is expected to rise as an
attractive alternative for those looking to
explore China beyond the standard tourist
routes, she remarked.
At Gray Line Tours, managing direc-
tor Michael Wu is also optimistic that the
new developments could stimulate the
German-speaking markets, which he said
have yet to return to its heyday since peak-
ing a decade ago.
“The rail/road/cruise concept driven by
the new infrastructural developments re-
ally gives us new opportunities as well as
a ‘twist’ to our tour products, especially to
the Greater Bay Area. We can create multi-
destination packages to woo Europeans.
This not only strengthens the city’s role as
a gateway to China but also helps us to get
clients to stay longer.
“Trips starting and ending in Hong
Kong offer new opportunities to take
them to Foshan for handicrafts, Zhuhai
for beaches and Guangzhou for culture.
The loop covering Zhongshan, Zhuhai
and Guangzhou sounds interesting. Eu-
ropeans are interested in visiting more
cities, and it’s easy to arrange a stopover
of 10 days,” said Wu.
For Wu, the only stumbling block for
now is that “there is no 144-hour tran-
sit visa access facilities at the HZMB
and HSR stations in Hong Kong”. To get
around this, the agency reminds travellers
to apply for visas beforehand.
While infrastructural developments
have created new opportunities to sell to
longhaul markets, members of the trade
remind that the benefits would take time
to materialise.
HS Travel’s executive director Hazen
Tang, for example, hasn’t seen any surge
of demand from European markets.
He said: “It takes time for the market to
digest new developments and products.
However, I believe (they will be won over)
in the long run as multi-destination is the
direction to go.”
Meanwhile, ATI Travel’s managing
director Richard Woss hasn’t found the
bridge benefiting his business so far, un-
less considering departures from Tuen
Mun.
“It’s not time saving if I leave from
downtown. I may take three hours to
reach Macau if I count in transport to air-
port direction, queueing for shuttle and
immigration…etc, unless someone would
like to experience the ride and beauty of
the bridge. For the high speed rail, there
are some glitches like large-size luggage
but it really shortens travelling time to
China.”
What’s new
Tai Kwun
This new centre for heritage and arts
opened in May 2018, comprising 16
historic buildings and outdoor spaces on a
nearly 1.4ha site in the heart of Central.
Tai Kwun presents a wide range of
heritage, contemporary art, perform-
ing arts and lifestyle experiences in the
restored and revitalised Central Police
Station compound, which comprises three
Declared Monuments – the former Central
Police Station, the Central Magistracy and
Victoria Prison.
Currently, 16 heritage buildings and
several outdoor spaces are being restored
for adaptive reuse, while two new build-
ings have been added to the site to house
an art gallery space and auditorium.
Ant-Man and The Wasp Nano Battle!
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort will unveil
its newest Marvel-branded attraction,
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!, on
March 31.
This will mark the world’s first attrac-
tion featuring Ant-Man and The Wasp,
From left: The Murray, Hong Kong; Hong Kong Disneyland’s Ant-Man and The Wasp attraction
as well as the first Marvel-themed attrac-
tion featuring a female superhero as a lead
character.
The Murray, Hong Kong
Converted from a government office block
built in 1969, the Murray was transformed
into a upscale hotel by reputable architectural
firm Foster + Partner.
This standalone building with 336 rooms
is situated in the CBD and next to key tourism
attractions like Hong Kong Park, Peak Tram
Station and St John’s Cathedral.
Temple Street Night Foodie Tour
Hong Kong Foodie Tasting Tour’s first eve-
ning programme, the three-hour Foodie Tour
takes participants to six locations, sampling
iconic Hong Kong street food and ending at
a seafood restaurant in Yau Ma Tei. Tours
depart on Mondays and Thursday, and have
a maximum capacity of 12 guests.
Hotel Vic
Located in the fashionable district of North
Point on Hong Kong Island, the new Hotel
Vic on the Harbour boasts panoramic views
of Victoria Harbour and direct access to a
new waterfront promenade, steps away
from an MTR station, ferry pier, and other
public transport. The hotel offers 671 luxury
guestrooms and suites, while F&B options
include an all-day dining outlet, a rooftop bar
and restaurant, and a deli/coffee bar.