Everyone is a Tourism Ambassador

Let’s Go the Extra Mile

Following the Professional Quality Tourism Services Pledgein 2023, HKTB introduced a brand-new hospitality promotion in 2024 under the theme “Let’s Go the Extra Mile” with a series of new promotional videos demonstrating how frontline service staff and the general public can help foster a more hospitable community by going a little step forward during work and in daily life, leaving positive impressions for consumers.

The promotional videos were rolled out in phases on TV, and in shopping malls, and were also disseminated online through digital media and social media platforms from June 2024. Posters were also displayed across the city to promote the hospitality culture across Hong Kong through different channels.

As early as late May 2024, HKTB shared teasers via various social media channels and invited various KOLs to share teasers to drive discussion on the topic. The footage employed intriguing play within a play which brought back memories of classic soundbites to encourage the public to explore how they can display the spirit of hospitality in a playful way.

Prior to the launch of the promotion, HKTB hosted a trade preview to introduce the concept to travel trade partners. Around 120 trade representatives from the tourism and related sectors, including airlines, transportation, hotels, F&B, retail, attractionsand MICE tourism partners. The campaign was received positively by trade partners, and was supported by various Government officials and Legislative Council members representing tourism-related sectors. Trade partners also supported the new promotion by incorporating the campaign’s element into different initiatives to create a synergistic effect, making concerted efforts in upholding Hong Kong’s reputation in hospitality.

New blood for “Hong Kong Pals” tourism volunteers

HKTB believed that not only the frontline staffs of tourism industry should be hospitable, but everyone in the community can contribute to better visitor experience in town. As such, in April 2024, HKTB expanded its “Hong Kong Pals” tourism volunteer programme, which was celebrating its 15th anniversary, by recruiting new tourism volunteers from the community.

“Hong Kong Pals” brings together a group of passionate local volunteers with diverse expertise and skills and the multiple award-winning team of professional visitor service specialists from HKTB to provide inbound visitors with timely, customised and authentic travel advice while serving with passion and friendliness, presenting the city’s hospitality spirits to visitors from around the world.

The recruitment received a record-breaking 440 applications. In particular, to rejuvenate the team with younger volunteers, HKTB actively engaged tertiary education institutions, hosting briefings and inviting nominations from instructors to attract aspiring students in tourism and hospitality. After a rigorous selection process, 48 new volunteers joined the largest-ever cohort of over 100 Hong Kong Pals.

The new recruits of Hong Kong Pals underwent comprehensive training from August to October, including workshops on hospitality, communication skills, itinerary planning, and photography, as well as guided tours experiences to deepen their understanding of Hong Kong’s tourism offerings. Professional instructors also provided insights into local culture, equipping volunteers to confidently share authentic experiences with visitors.

Upgrading Visitor Centre

To provide a cozy and welcoming ambience to visitors arriving in Hong Kong, HKTB completed a major renovation of its Visitor Centre at Hong Kong International Airport in August 2024 to elevate service quality and promotional impact. The upgraded centre features a giant LED video wall that uses immersive visuals to showcase Hong Kong’s scenic beauty and spotlight the city’s latest events. In addition, the interactive kiosks have been upgraded to offer round-the-clock sightseeing information, allowing visitors to conveniently download travel information to their mobile devices.

Partnering for Success, Shaping the Future

HKTB hosted its annual mega trade seminar, Hong Kong Tourism Overview 2025, on 20 March at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Themed “Partnering for Success, Shaping the Future”, the event welcomed over 1,200 participants from across the tourism sector, including travel agents, hotels, airlines, attractions, retailers, F&B, MICE and cruise operators, and students.

During the event, HKTB reviewed the past year’s performance and outlined strategies for 2025. Guest speakers from the Airport Authority Hong Kong and Visa shared insights on airport development and shifting travel trends in Asia Pacific.

HKTB’s worldwide offices also engaged with local partners to exchange market intelligence and future plans, engaging in depth with local trade partners.

Bringing Hong Kong’s tourism appeal to the world

HKTB adopted a proactive approach in visiting key source markets with the travel trade, participating in important travel fairs and tourism industry events and leading travel missions to showcase the city’s tourism appeal.

In 2024/25, HKTB organised 12 travel missions to engage trade partners in different markets, including Beijing, Seoul, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Bombay, Delhi and many more. HKTB also actively expanded the Middle Eastern markets by visiting Riyadh and Dubai. Under HKTB’s support, over 330 local trade partners participated in the travel mission to expand their industry network, which contributed to cross-market partnership.

HKTB also participated in 20 important travel trade fairs and industry events around the world, including both leisure and MICE tourism. Through immersive pavilion design, showcase of authentic Hong Kong tourism experiences, and arranging business appointments with the trade in these markets, thousands of business appointments were successfully lined up to explore partnership opportunities.

On top of these popular travel fairs, HKTB also targeted specific markets and segments when participating in these overseas events to maximise promotion effectiveness. For instance, HKTB targeted the luxury segment in Russia, Kazakhstan, the Middle East and Australia in the Luxury Travel Mart 2025 (Russia and Kazakhastan), the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, UAE, Luxperience Australia and Shangri-La showcase in the Oceania.

Supporting overseas marketing

In order to support the Hong Kong travel trade to promote their tourism products outside Hong Kong, HKTB resumed the “Matching Fund for Overseas Tourism Promotion by Tourist Attractions Scheme” from April 2024 to facilitate attractions and sightseeing transportation’s promotional work in source markets, raising awareness of overseas visitors towards Hong Kong attractions. A total of HK$21.6 million funding was approved to support trade partners’ promotion between April 2024 and March 2025.

Hong Kong Tourism Industry Student Summit 2025

HKTB Youth Academy continued its partnership with the Education Bureau in organising the “Hong Kong Tourism Industry Student Summit” from February to April 2024. This event has become the signature occasion every year for secondary school students of Tourism and Hospitality Studies (THS) across Hong Kong, deepening students’ industry knowledge while fostering their interests in pursuing careers in Hong Kong’s tourism sector in the future.

The two-day summit featured a keynote seminar on the first day in February 2025, focusing on immersive travel. Industry leaders delivered in-depth insights into the latest tourism trends. The seminar attracted over 1,300 THS students from 65 secondary schools, representing one-third of all schools in Hong Kong.

Additionally, participating students got a taste of designing and presenting tourism products targeting various visitor groups in a case competition, presenting their ideas innovatively.

To allow teachers and students to have an accurate understanding of Hong Kong’s tourism reality and latest development, HKTB also offered thematic talks to share the newest travel trends and insights to schools and universities, and invited more than 100 THS students to the Tourism Overview 2025.

Telling Hong Kong good stories through non-local students’ network

In addition to local students, HKTB understands the immense potential with non-local tertiary students in town as they are the ideal ambassador to share authentic Hong Kong experience with their friends and family in different markets.

During 2024/25, about 200 new members were recruited from over 17 countries and regions. The non-local Academy members participated in various activities, including a docent tour to the movie set exhibition themed around the movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, followed by a citywalk in Kowloon City. HKTB also arranged an experiential tour for the students to see the traditional festive event, Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. Other engagement activities include exclusive arts tour to see street arts in Old Town Central and the annual Art Central.

These excursions not only brought students fun and joy, but also deeply enhanced their understanding of Hong Kong’s core appeal in various sector and cultivated their interests in learning more about Hong Kong, while fostering a sense of belonging among them to spread positive word-of-mouth after their studies.