HKTB WANTS VISITORS TO SPEND MORE

Building on the successful partnership last year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has once again joined forces with Visa. This partnership will offer shoppers in the city multiple chances of winning vouchers under its “Hong Kong Summer Spectacular” programme from June 17 to August 31 this year. The HKTB hopes that the promotions, along with the loads of bargain deals by the retail and dining sectors, as well as the entertainment in town, will lure travellers from around the region and boost the sales for different business sectors, besides showcasing Hong Kong’s strengths as a fun and rewarding summer destination. “As the global economy and consumer sentiments continue to improve, we have been seeing positive growth in visitor arrivals and spending since the beginning of this year,” Anthony Lau, Executive Director, HKTB said. According to him, per capita spending by overnight visitors went up by 10% yearon- year to around HK$7,300 in Q1 2011. To further stimulate visitors’ spending during the summer, taking advantage of this peak travel season among visitors in Mainland China and short-haul markets, we are rolling out a series of attractive promotions. We hope these will give visitors even greater incentive to come and spend in Hong Kong, further boosting the visitor arrivals and tourism receipts for our city.” Corbin Sun, Visa’s acting Country Manager of Hong Kong and Macau, said, “Visa is pleased to work with the HKTB again in making Hong Kong a sought-after summer vacation spot for tourists.” This year, the HKTB and Visa are introducing two brand new “spend to win” promotions for both visitors and local residents. As for the “Visa go Surprises” promotion, shoppers may find themselves surprised at designated shopping malls by a flash mob, which will randomly identify lucky shoppers each Saturday during the promotional period. Meanwhile, the HKTB is bringing together a wave of cool events to create a truly memorable summer vacation for visitors in Asia’s World City. For the second year, it will stage the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival, which will feature the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races organised by the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Association. The HKTB will also promote the “Summer Pop – Live in Hong Kong” concert by the Performing Industry Association, as well as the plethora of exhibitions and activities by local attractions and other organisations, such as the Hong Kong Book Fair, the Food Expo and Lan Kwai Fong BeerFest. The combination of shopping, entertainment and cultural experiences is set to reinforce Hong Kong’s reputation as one of the hottest summer destinations in the region.