Hong Kong Tourism Board concludes successful GCC travel missions

DUBAI: The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) successfully concluded its first GCC 2024 travel mission to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), engaging the travel partners from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which took place between October 7 and 9 in Riyadh and Dubai.

This year’s mission showcased Hong Kong’s growing appeal among travellers from the GCC, with the city welcoming 19,273 visitors between January and August 2024 – a remarkable 124% increase compared to the previous year. The visitor numbers for the first half of 2024 alone nearly matched the total number of arrivals from the GCC in 2023, reflecting Hong Kong’s growing reputation as a premier destination for luxury travellers.

Key highlights of HKTB’s Travel Mission – The roadshow featured a distinguished delegation of 30 key Hong Kong trade partners, including representatives from iconic attractions, luxury hotels and destination management companies (DMCs). The event attracted over 200 travel agents from across the GCC, providing them with an in-depth understanding of Hong Kong’s premium offerings tailored for affluent travellers.

Exclusive Experiences for GCC Luxury Travellers – The HKTB’s brand-new initiative ‘Travel in Luxe’, especially curated for GCC market, captivated attendees with an array of luxury experiences, including helicopter tours over Hong Kong’s skyline, VIP access to Hong Kong Disneyland’s ‘Momentous Nighttime Spectacular’, private shopping concierge services, and exclusive dining experiences. Attendees were also introduced to bespoke cultural activities like private Cantonese opera at the Xiqu Centre and horse-racing events hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Puneet Kumar, Director of South Asia & Middle East at HKTB, said, “We are pleased with the strong recovery in GCC visitor numbers, which underscores the region’s growing interest in Hong Kong’s offerings. From luxury shopping and dining to rich cultural and heritage experiences, Hong Kong provides an array of unique attractions for GCC tourists. Our engagement with the travel trade fraternity in Riyadh and Dubai gave us the confidence that we will be able to attract more visitors to Hong Kong, with their strong support. We are dedicated to ensuring travellers’ travel experiences are memorable, and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors from the region.”

As part of its 2024-2025 tourism marketing strategy, HKTB aims to position Hong Kong as a premium destination targeting families, experiential travellers, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) and leisure travellers through various B2B and B2C activities like destination workshops, e-learning, digital marketing and joint collaborations with travel agents, airlines, media.

Some of these strategies include:

• Strategic partnerships with leading GCC brands to market Hong Kong’s destination experiences, including the Travel in Luxe experiences which will offer deals and packages to facilitate easy travel to Hong Kong.
• Developing a dedicated compendium of information for Muslim travellers including halal friendly restaurants, prayer room facilities and more (https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/explore/muslim-travel.html) that can be accessed from the Discover Hong Kong website.
• Regular participation in trade shows in GCC such as ATM Dubai, KBLT Congress in Riyadh and further upcoming shows to educate GCC trade on Hong Kong’s offerings and experiences.

In the coming months, Hong Kong will host several large-scale events, including the Hong Kong Taste Around Town festival, Winterfest, and the New Year Countdown. Additionally, cultural and sporting highlights such as Art Basel, Hong Kong Rugby Sevens and the Dragon Boat Races are expected to draw visitors from around the globe.

For Muslim travellers, Hong Kong offers a wide range of halal food options, prayer room facilities, and Muslim-friendly hotels, with resources available in English and Arabic on the Discover Hong Kong website.

Travelling from the GCC to Hong Kong is also more convenient than ever. Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways provide regular flights between Dubai, Doha and Hong Kong, while Cathay Pacific and other regional carriers offer direct connections. Cathay Pacific will be launching direct flight from Riyadh to Hong Kong by end October 2024. This growing connectivity reflects Hong Kong’s commitment to making travel easy and accessible for GCC tourists.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board delegation included following partners.

Hotels – The Langham, Hong Kong, Stanford Hotel & Stanford Hillview Hotel, Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers. Rosewood Hong Kong, Regent Hong Kong, Regal Hotels International Limited, New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel, JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Intercontinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong, Hotel ICON, Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel, Harbour Plaza North Point, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong Sha Tin.

DMC’s – Century Holiday International Travel Service(HK) Co.Limited, Holidaykraft Vacations Ltd, Inno Travel Limited, L’Voyage Travel Company Limited, Momentous Asia Travel & Events Co. Ltd, Splendid Tours & Travel, Travel Tricks, Vanguard Holidays (HK) Co., Ltd, Great Ocean Tours & Travel Ltd.

Attractions- Ngong Ping 360 Limited, Ocean Park Hong Kong, sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck.Great Ocean Tours & Travel LtdGreat Ocean Tours & Travel Ltd.