TTG ASIA MARCH 2019
DESTINATION: HONG KONG 22
Destination
Positive connections
Connectivity enhancements open up extended itineraries to more destinations beyond the territory,
which could be just what agents need to grow longhaul business, reports Prudence Lui
M
ajor connectivity de-
velopments 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 longhaul 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 statis-
tics, nearly 80 per cent of overnight
visitors from Europe including Ger-
many adopt multi-destination itin-
eraries.
“The enhanced connections be-
tween Hong Kong and the mainland
(brought about by the) new infra-
structure will greatly enhance the
Hong Kong
West Kowloon
High Speed Rail
Station con-
nects the city
to Guangzhou
and Shenzhen in
southern China
city’s appeal to visitors from Europe,
who are able to bundle Hong Kong
with neighbouring mainland cities in
their travel plans.”
At Four Seasons Hong Kong, re-
gional director of marketing, Irene
Tan, said: “Of the new infrastruc-
ture projects, the development of
the cruise terminals and promotion
of routes beginning and ending in
Hong Kong have had the most no-
ticeable benefit to date.”
Cruising demand is “definitely
coming in” from Germany and other
European markets, and hospitality
players in Hong Kong could poten-
tially benefit as couples opt to spend
several days in the city pre- or post-
cruise, she pointed out.
Moreover, while leisure travellers
from Europe are still most interested
in exploring the popular tourist cit-
ies in northern and central China –
most accessible by plane – rail travel
is expected to rise as an attractive al-
ternative for those looking to explore
China beyond the standard tourist
routes, she remarked.
At Gray Line Tours, managing di-
rector Michael Wu is also optimistic
that the new developments could
stimulate the German-speaking
markets, which he said have yet to
return to their heyday since peaking
a decade ago.
“The rail/road/cruise concept
driven by the new infrastructural de-
velopments really give us new oppor-
tunities as well as a ‘twist’ to our tour
products, especially to the Greater
Bay Area. We can create multi-desti-
nation 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 opportu-
nities 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
transit 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 develop-
ments have created new opportu-
nities to sell to longhaul markets,
members of the trade point out that
the benefits would take time to ma-
terialise.
HS Travel’s executive director Ha-
zen Tang, for example, hasn’t seen
any surge of demand from European
markets.
He said: “It takes time for the mar-
ket to digest new developments and
products. However, I believe (they
will be won over) in the long run as
multi-destination (travel) is the di-
rection to go.”
Meanwhile, ATI Travel’s manag-
ing director Richard Woss has not
seen benefits on his business so far
from the bridge, unless considering
departures from Tuen Mun in north-
west Hong Kong’s New Territories.
“It’s not time saving if I leave from
downtown. I may take three hours to
reach Macau if I count in transport to
airport direction, queueing for shut-
tle and immigration, etc, unless one
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 short-
ens travelling time to China.”
WHAT’S HOT
Tours &
Activities
Urban
adventures
Peninsula’s new yacht
The Peninsula Hong Kong has
introduced a new yacht. This
Sunseeker Manhattan 60 is a
90m cruiser that can take up
to 15 passengers. It sails on
the Harbour Sunset Cruise, a
two-hour evening programme
featuring the Symphony of
Lights on the Victoria Harbour.
The package includes cana-
pés and unlimited consump-
tion of house Champagne,
wine and other beverages,
available from 18.30 to 20.30
nightly. The package is priced
at HK$1,400 (US$178) for
adults and HK$600 nett for
children.
[email protected]
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano
Battle!
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano
Battle! will debut at Hong Kong
Disneyland Resort (HKDL) on
March 31, 2019. This will be the
world’s first attraction featuring
the two superheroes, and marks
HKDL’s second Marvel-themed
attraction.
Guests will find themselves
immersed in the imaginary
S.H.I.E.L.D. Science and Tech-
nology Pavilion, where they are
shrunk to the size of an ant, ready
to engage in a heroic battle along-
side Ant-Man and The Wasp. The
new attraction is located next to
the Iron Man Experience in Tomor-
rowland at the theme park.
www.hongkongdisneyland.com
Temple Street Night Foodie
Tour
This experience was launched in
2018 as Hong Kong Foodie Tast-
ing Tour’s first evening tour. On
the three-hour Foodie Tour, par-
ticipants will get to sample iconic
Hong Kong street food and finish
at a seafood restaurant in Yau Ma
Tei. The journey covers selected
food and drink tasting at six loca-
tions. Tours are available on Mon-
days or Thursday nights, taking a
maximum of 12 participants.
[email protected]
Hong Kong Geopark hiking
Recognised by UNESCO for its
geographical significance, Hong
Kong Geopark is a popular spot
to explore the natural beauty of
Hong Kong. Accompanied by an
experienced tour guide, travellers
can marvel at stunning hexago-
nal columnar joints, one of the
largest geological formations of
this kind in the world, among
other sights. Travellers could also
explore Hakka villages in the sur-
rounding areas, gaining a deeper
understanding of a lesser-known
side of Hong Kong.
[email protected]
Central Street Art & “Eat Pray
Art”
Enjoy an afternoon of artful
immersion while exploring the
popular SoHo district of Hong
Kong. Led by a knowledgeable
tour guide, travellers can discover
art pieces and hidden Instagram
spots. This is a half-day tour
lasting from one to three hours.
www.klook.com
Hong Kong
Geopark; The
Peninsula
Hong Kong’s
new yacht