Stepping Up Global Promotions

(1) Capitalising on policies benefitting Hong Kong

Opening up new visitor sources from IVS Expansion

In 2024, the Central Government announced four important policies benefitting the development of Hong Kong tourism. These include the phased expansion of the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS), which covered Xi’an and Qingda first and was further expanded to eight provincial capitals and autonomous region capitals including Taiyuan, Hohhot, Harbin, Lhasa, Lanzhou, Xining, Yinchuan and Urumqi. As a result, the total number of cities eligible under the IVS increased to 59 after the expansion.

HKTB swiftly responded to the two-phase expansion of the IVS and proactively promoted Hong Kong’s multifaceted tourism appeal to first-time visitors in these markets with a view to increasing Hong Kong’s awareness as a destination and piquing the interests of visiting Hong Kong among the new IVS cities.

HKTB rolled out a series of promotions on social media through its official accounts, while partnering with major KOLs on Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Kuaishou, WeChat and Weibo to produce engaging contents to showcase to potential visitors Hong Kong’s tourist attractions, time-limited offers and other experiences. In addition, HKTB also jointly stepped up promotions with key media outlets in Shaanxi, drawing widespread conversation on social media in Xi’an and Qingdao.

a. Immersive promotions and first-hand experiences

In addition to content marketing, HKTB also promoted Hong Kong as a destination bilaterally – sending out trade representatives to the new IVS cities for in-market promotion while inviting trade partners from these cities to experience Hong Kong’s tourism appeal first-hand in town.

In partnership with the SAR Government’s Economic Trade Offices in Beijing and Chengdu, HKTB spotlight Hong Kong in 8 Northern and Northeastern cities, including 6 of the new IVS cities. The roadshow featured immersive experiences, interactive displays, and thematic showcases that brought Hong Kong’s unique offerings to life. It served as a powerful platform to engage local audiences, build brand affinity, and drive travel interest, especially among first-time visitors from emerging Chinese Mainland markets.

In addition to consumer promotion, HKTB hosted familiarisation trips for journalists from media outlets and trade partners from eight new IVS cities. Themed itineraries highlighted Hong Kong’s core experiences—from heritage and dining to nightlife and shopping. These trips generated widespread media clippings and extensive coverage across mainstream channels, showcasing Hong Kong’s all-round attractiveness.

b. Attractive product offerings

To fast-track visitor conversion from the eight IVS cities with first-time visitors who are unfamiliar with the destination, HKTB teamed up with airlines and travel agents to turn interest into bookings.

With the launch of the Harbin-Hong Kong direct flight, HKTB initiated targeted travel trade promotions in the region. This was followed by a dedicated campaign in partnership with Shandong Airlines, which recorded over 9,000 bookings during the promotion period. Meanwhile, eight travel agents in Xi’an drove more than 3,100 bookings during the pre-summer low season. These efforts ensured that promotional momentum translated into actual visitation in the new IVS markets.

To encourage product booking to Hong Kong, HKTB also partnered with travel agents and airlines in new IVS cities including Taiyuan, Hohhot, Harbin, Lhasa, Lanzhou, Xining, Yinchuan, Urumqi, Qingdao and Xi'an to distribute discount coupons of HK$200 each to Chinese Mainland visitors making bookings via online and physical travel agents. Participating brands numbered over 110, covering around 2,600 outlets across Hong Kong, offering travelers a wide range of shopping privileges.

Besides the expansion of IVS to more cities, the Central Government announced the increase of duty-free allowance for luggage articles for visitors who are Chinese Mainland residents from 5,000 yuan to 12,000 in July 2024. This unlocked greater spending power of Chinese Mainland visitors in Hong Kong.

To maximise the effect, HKTB leveraged on the “Summer Triple Rewards” campaign from mid-July to September, offering rewards to overnight visitors, to stimulate visitor spending and maximise the contribution of tourism towards the economy. The campaign featured over 453 brands and covered up to 3,700 outlets across Hong Kong, delivering a wide array of shopping, dining, sightseeing and transportation privileges.

New mode of transport brings new visitors

Meanwhile, launched on 15 June 2024, the new sleeper train service from Beijing and Shanghai to Hong Kong started offering more convenient journey for long-haul Chinese Mainland markets and enhancing connectivity. To encourage travellers to visit Hong Kong with the new service available, HKTB promoted the Sleeper Trains across various social media platforms, including Douyin, Weibo, WeChat, and Xiaohongshu, positioning it as a convenient travel option with first-person review of the comfort of the train, alongside various food, neighbourhood and citywalk experiences in Hong Kong.

To sustain interest for the Sleeper Train travel to Hong Kong, HKTB partnered with Suzhou Broadcasting System during Chinese New Year 2025, organising a 6-day-5-night experiential tour with 72 fans of the broadcaster’s programme, including both younger generation and family travellers, to visit Hong Kong in the novel way, with a view to further attracting first-time visitors to Hong Kong by sharing the authentic experience of travelling on High Speed Rail.

Resumption and Expansion of Multiple-Entry Individual Visit Scheme for Shenzhen Residents

(2) Making Hong Kong Viral: Social media-driven content marketing

With consumers being more digital-savvy and the gigantic e-commerce opportunity in the Chinese Mainland, in 2024/25, HKTB strategically partnered with various influential online portals to narrate authentic Hong Kong stories, while maintaining year-round presence on popular online platforms in the hugely diverse markets with consumers of diverse interests.

Triggering Interests with Visual Impacts

To inspire travel interest among the digital generation, HKTB’s Chinese Mainland office partnered with Xiaomi and Leica—two brands with strong appeal among young Chinese consumers—for a visually-driven photography campaign that reimagined Hong Kong’s uniqueness.

Professional photographers were invited to capture the city’s charm through three contrasting themes, showcasing Hong Kong’s dynamic blend of urban energy, cultural depth, and natural beauty, sparking emotional connections through compelling visual storytelling.

Leveraging Xiaomi’s extensive ecosystem including mobile devices, smart TVs, and seven offline stores, the campaign reached audiences across multiple touchpoints. Over 14,000 photo submissions from professionals and Xiaomi users highlighted Hong Kong’s vibrant experiences, and generated a 9-times surge in Hong Kong-related searches within the Xiaomi ecosystem, demonstrating strong engagement and renewed travel desire driven by immersive, high-impact content.

Groundbreaking partnership with Xiaohongshu

Xiaohongshu is a fast-growing lifestyle and social media platform with over 200 million active users, most of whom are Chinese and more than 70% were born in the 1990s, making it a powerful channel to reach young, experience-driven Chinese Mainland travellers.

In April 2024, HKTB confirmed strategic partnership on cultural tourism promotion with the digital mogul, the first outbound destination to have entered a similar agreement with Xiaohongshu.

According to the partnership, HKTB and Xiaohongshu were to launch joint initiatives to boost Hong Kong’s visibility, including thematic promotions, curated content, and KOL-driven storytelling. The partnership generated over 10,000 posts and 300 million exposures, positioning Hong Kong as the “Destination Most-loved by Users.” Through co-created content and immersive experiences, the campaign showcased Hong Kong’s cultural vibrancy and year-round events, inspiring fresh ways for Chinese Mainland consumers to explore the city.

Authentic Hong Kong in Superstars’ Eyes

Apart from online channels, HKTB also leveraged mass media coverage to portray the authentic Hong Kong experiences through variety shows by big-name stars, including homegrown celebrities such as Carina Lau, Sandra Ng, Charmaine Sheh, Fiona Sit and many more in a partnership with Jiangsu Satellite TV. After broadcast, the shows were also made available on on-demand streaming platform Tencent Video and social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

In celebration of the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, another variety show featured popular Chinese Mainland stars in other areas, such as Volleyball player Hui Ruoqi and painter Niu Junjie to experience Hong Kong from visitors’ perspectives. Their journey was also promoted on People’s Daily’s own media channel and the Bauhinia magazine.

Calling for action through micro-drama and micro-videos

Micro dramas and short-form videos have emerged as one of the most effective formats to engage Chinese audiences, especially younger and mobile-first users. Their snackable length, emotional storytelling, and platform-native virality make them ideal for driving traffic, sparking interest, and is good for calling for action as viewers feel connected to the experiences presented on-screen, converting viewers into travellers.

As such, HKTB partnered with leading content platforms and entertainment brands, namely Kuaishou, Bilibili and EE Media, to produce a series of micro drama and micro video campaigns that spotlighted Hong Kong’s vibrant tourism appeal.

During the summer holiday travel season, HKTB launched an 8-episode series “Travel Adventures: Trendy Hong Kong” on Kuaishou in collaboration with Hong Kong Airlines, targeting young and family segments in emerging markets.

Following the summer holiday, in September – November 2024, HKTB co-created with Bilibili, one of Gen-Z’s top platforms, with five popular content creators under the IP “Travel Encounters” to further showcase the city’s Great Outdoors in the pleasant autumn season.

HKTB also teamed up with EE-Media, Chinese Mainland’s largest artist management company, to produce the celebrity-led Vlog series, streamed across Mango TV, Hunan Satellite TV International, and social media. Featuring six celebrities and 45 attractions around Hong Kong, the campaign delivered hundreds of media reports and widely enhanced Hong Kong’s exposure as a tourism destination.

To further elevate storytelling, HKTB developed a 10-episode micro drama “Tomorrow’s Promise”, starring Selena Lee and Yi Han in March 2025. The series highlighted Hong Kong’s metropolitan energy and was recognised by the National Radio and Television Administration as a recommended title under the “Travel with Micro Drama” scheme.

These initiatives successfully harnessed the power of short-form storytelling to deepen emotional resonance and broaden Hong Kong’s appeal across Chinese Mainland audiences.

(3) Creating reasons for visiting Hong Kong with events and unique culture

Leveraging common heritage

As Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland shares love for Chinese culture, HKTB leveraged the common heritage to promote tourism in the Chinese Mainland. In September 2024, HKTB invited representatives from 5 media from Central and Western China to experience Hong Kong’s very own Intangible Cultural Heritage Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, alongside other experiences with Hong Kong characteristics, including the Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir, Lamma Island, Tai Kwun, Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+, while drumming up for the National Day holiday travel promotion to Hong Kong. As a result, media clippings focusing on Hong Kong travel were generated right before the National Day holiday, allowing Chinese Mainland visitors to consider travelling to Hong Kong during the Peak travel season.

Unique Christmas ambience

HKTB leveraged Hong Kong’s intense Christmas ambience and the Hong Kong WinterFest to appeal to Chinese Mainland travellers, especially overnight visitors. HKTB partnered with Sina Weibo to publish a thematic video featuring Estelle Chan, who travelled to Hong Kong on High-Speed Rail to enjoy the Hong Kong WinterFest and the city’s winter experiences. Together with partnership with an online travel agent Beijing Visio Trip and China Eastern Airlines, HKTB rolled out hotel+ tourism products and special flight deals of direct flight between Hong Kong and 12 Chinese Mainland cities, selling more than 30,000 hotel products and more than 34,000 flight tickets, attracting overnight visitors to Hong Kong.

(4) Nurturing New Source Markets & Cultivate Potential Segments

HKTB continued to strategically attract visitors from the Greater Bay Area to return time and again, while also expanded into new source cities within the Chinese Mainland, so as to bring in a more diversified visitor mix.

Encouraging repeated visits from GBA

Thanks to geographical proximity, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) has contributed greatly to Hong Kong’s visitor arrivals. To encourage repeated visits from GBA travellers, HKTB jointly rolled out diverse thematic promotions with media partners and trade in different Chinese Mainland sources to draw GBA travellers’ attention to Hong Kong with new appeals, including hidden gems, mega events, and affordable luxury experiences through a 28-episode video series with N Video and tactical offers by online travel agent HeyTrip. The promotions centred around the convenience and connectivity of Hong Kong to encourage repeated visits, driving about 59,000 sales.

Opening up markets beyond GBA cities

As travel demands beyond GBA cities remained high after the pandemic and connectivity with Hong Kong has been enhanced with High Speed Rail, HKTB targeted other cities such as Changsha, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Nanning, Guiyang, Wuhan, Nanchang, and Shantou to encourage first-time visitors to explore Hong Kong.

To amplify visibility of Hong Kong in these cities, HKTB rolled out outdoor advertising with the compelling slogan “Next Destination: Hong Kong”.

On the digital front, HKTB partnered with major travel agents such as Tongcheng and Tuniu to promote HSR-related travel products supported by Tencent’s ecosystem, the Tongcheng campaign reached young families and professionals. Meanwhile, Tuniu leveraged its Douyin presence and KOL network to conduct four themed livestreams and curated influencer tours. The two campaigns brought about 1.8 million bookings from these new cities, strengthening Hong Kong’s appeal as a must-visit destination for first-time visitors and overnight stays from emerging Chinese Mainland markets.

In May 2024, HKTB partnered with Meituan to stimulate early summer vacation overnight bookings, offering tourism products together with coupon packages and hotel discounts. The campaign, with over 600,000 hotel room nights sold, did not only benefit the tourism sector but also generated affiliated revenues to Hong Kong’s local businesses through the spending coupons.

In preparation for the low season after summer vacation, HKTB launched similar campaigns in partnership with travel agents in 9 cities in northern China, 6 cities in Central and Western China, and 3 cities in Eastern China, to further drive visitor arrivals. More than 220,000 bookings were made.

(1) Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia (SEA) is a key visitor source market of Hong Kong. Over the past year, HKTB focused on reinforcing market dominance and maximising conversion to visitor arrivals in Hong Kong, capitalising on the strong travel demands from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, as well as Vietnam. This is done through a series of Hong Kong’s inherent pull factors such as East-meets-West festivity, arts and culture experiences including Hong Kong movies and pop culture, and our reputation as “Events Capital of Asia”. Various initiatives such as trade partnerships, thematic tourism offerings, tactical deals, MICE tourism promotion also contributed to the robust growth of SEA visitors to Hong Kong.

KOL Influence + Immersive Experiences

Capitalising on the close ties between Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, HKTB drove travel conversion from Southeast Asia through trade and media to effectively engage younger visitors who are willing to spend on experiences by combining influencer and celebrity appeal with immersive experiences linked to Hong Kong’s mega events.

For example, in October 2024, five Thai KOLs created vibrant social media buzz around the Hong Kong Cyclothon and outdoor adventures, which resulted in about 300 media clippings.

To tie in with the promotion of the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, HKTB collaborated with a popular Thai YouTube channel featuring celebrities Opal, Pookie, Sunny Suwanmethanont, and Niti in engaging food and travel content. Timed alongside tactical promotion with KTC travel in Thailand, the campaign generated a synergy and supported overall visibility for Hong Kong.

To further maximise the publicity effect on the event, HKTB organised a media familiarisation trip for representatives from 14 media titles, blending gastronomy with local characteristics. The media representatives explored the city’s diverse appeals in the neighbourhoods in joinin workshops with local gin distillery, Sheung Wan neighbourhood tour led by the chef of an award-winning Chinese restaurant Ho Lee Fook, and an exclusive tasting session with visitors’ favourite Bakehouse. The editorials generated unique and novel perspectives for Hong Kong’s gastronomy among Southeast Asian markets.

Curating Immersive Experiences

To appeal to experience-driven Gen Z Southeast Asian travellers and showcase Hong Kong as a destination rich in culture and entertainment, HKTB organised “Hong Kong Nights Out” regional fam, inviting Southeast Asian travellers to explore the city’s nightlife and festivities through curated itineraries. As part of this campaign, 50 KOLs from Southeast Asia visited Hong Kong for 5 days and 4 nights during the Clockenflap Music Festival and Hong Kong WinterFestwhich generated about 150 media reports. These mega events were complemented by local experiences such as hiking, harbour cruises, and theme park visits—offering travellers fresh perspectives and deeper engagement with the city.

Leveraging films to transform them into tourism appeal

To further highlight Hong Kong’s authentic experiences beyond traditional tourism attractions, HKTB supported the launch of the movie Under Parallel Skies in 2023, with popular Thai actor Win Metawin and Filipino actress Janella Salvador showcasing Hong Kong’s romantic and scenic landscapes to attract fans and film lovers to explore the movie scenes in Hong Kong.

Following the completion of the movie, HKTB staged a series of movie premieres in the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia in April and May 2024, attracting more than 3,000 guests, including travel trade partners, media and KOLs in respective markets, tying movie scenes to tourist attractions and further solidifying Hong Kong’s image as a cultural tourism destination in SEA markets.

Strengthening SEA market dominance

To further strengthen Hong Kong’s tourism market dominance in Southeast Asian markets, HKTB spotlighted on Hong Kong’s hidden gems through an integrated regional promotion “Hide & Seek Hong Kong” to refresh Hong Kong’s image as a novel and trendy destination.

A regional media fam was organized across five Southeast Asian markets, attracting 27 prominent media titles. The initiative showcased the city’s hidden gems under four key themes: Nature & Adventure, Arts & Culture, Food & Drinks, and Shop & Play. This generated extensive coverage, resulting in a total of 635 media clippings.

In addition to long-standing promotions such as media familiarisation trips and luncheons, the “Hide & Seek Hong Kong” campaign incorporated stylish and buzz-worthy elements to stir interests among consumers. HKTB kicked off a three-day activation event in a major shopping arcade in Kuala Lumpur. Hosted by a group of energetic, young talents, the in-mall activities such as interactive games and Hong Kong souvenir blind box giveaway drew in crowds and audience from the mall’s footfall and radio partnerships and PR efforts. The activation campaign also came with an AI Photo & Travel Profile Analysis, where passers-by and visitors of the activation zone scanned a QR code, answered a few questions related to travel preferences and uploaded a photo for a personalised AI-generated photo of the participant in Hong Kong, encouraging them to visit Hong Kong with recommendations based on their travel profile. This campaign also engaged 38 KOLs in the market reaching more than 90 million audiences in Southeast Asia.

Music × Culture × Community

Besides in-market onsite activations, HKTB partnered with Asia’s leading entertainment company CJ ENM and Star Music’s Filipino singer-songwriter KD Estrada, to produce a music video for his hit “Be With You” with sets in Hong Kong with special appearance of actress Alexa Ilacad. To drum up anticipation. before the music video’s production, Star Music launched an interactive social activation on its official social account to ask fans for Hong Kong’s hidden gems that they hope to see in the music video. The social activation received more than 5,000 submissions on Hong Kong’s points of interests.

Maintaining exposure on mainstream media

To enhance in-market visibility, HKTB continued to maintain the city’s exposure through partnership with mainstream media partnership. For instance, HKTB rode on the Hong Kong WinterFest to arrange for two one-hour episodes on Hong Kong’s Christmas festive experience in “The First Ultimate”, a travel and culture TV programme in Thailand. Similarly, leveraging the staging of various international art fairs such as Art Basel Hong Kong, HKTB partnered with Singaporean art and culture media “Bakchormee Boy” to showcase a variety of art events in Hong Kong to its local readers. These strategic media partnerships helped further amplify Hong Kong’s exposure among consumer markets in Southeast Asia, raising consumer awareness towards Hong Kong as a destination with specific interest.

Championing GBA multi-destination tourism

To deepen the Indonesian market’s understanding of the Greater Bay Area as a multi-destination travel experience, HKTB worked with 30 representatives from Guangdong Province and Macao in September 2024 in staging the “Greater Bay Area - Connect Great Experiences” promotion in Jakarta to introduce the tourism resources to the Indonesian market, and reached strategic partnership agreements with key industry members in the Southeast Asian tourism markets in launching GBA tourism products and promotions targeting the Indonesian market to boost visitor arrivals from the market on multi-destination travel. Media engagement was robust, with three televised interviews aired on CNN Indonesia, METRO TV, and SCTV, alongside a well-attended mass media briefing that generated reports on GBA tourism in Southeast Asia.

Following the activation event, HKTB secured a collaboration with Indonesian travel agent association ASTINDO to encourage and facilitate travel agents in the market to roll out tailored GBA tourism products and packages suitable for Indonesian travellers’ preferences and demands. A joint marketing campaign was forged with key OTA partner, Traveloka, to drive visibility and conversion through discounts on flights accommodation and attractions offerings in Hong Kong.

Targeting young people in the market, HKTB invited Gen-Z celebrities Bastian Steel and Sitha Marina to produce a tourism programme “Celebrity on Vacation” in Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen to introduce the GBA’s traditional attractions and novel points of interests. The programme was broadcast on TV, YouTube and online streaming platforms starting from late September 2024.

Resonating with Thai consumers with shared culture: Hello Good Fortune

HKTB first collaborated with Thai illustrator Painterbell, who designed downloadable “good fortune” wallpapers featuring Hong Kong temples—Che Kung, Wong Tai Sin, and Man Mo—popular among Thai visitors. These designs, starring Painterbell’s LINE characters John & Lulu, were made available on a dedicated microsite to create awareness of Hong Kong’s cultural appeal.

At the Thailand International Travel Fair (TITF) 2025, HKTB further promoted the religious tourism experience with exclusive giveaways, including “Lulu the Piggy” lucky amulets and a newly designed “Hong Kong Temple Guidebook”, featuring itineraries with temples for different wishes. The booth attracted strong engagement, with over 1,800 amulets and guidebooks distributed. To draw visitors from the wider audience, HKTB arranged special appearances by Feng Shui Master Katha, Master A4 TokTak, and the characters John & Lulu to further boost visibility.

To deepen Thai travellers understanding of Hong Kong’s temple culture, HKTB supported the production of Thai television programmes featuring Hong Kong temples, showcasing a variety of spiritual sites and inspiring Thai audiences to consider Hong Kong for culturally immersive travel.

Jelajah Hong Kong: Inviting SEA Muslim to Explore Hong Kong

Throughout 2024/25, HKTB actively promoted Hong Kong as a Muslim-friendly destination in Southeast Asia under the campaign “Jelajah Hong Kong”, meaning “Explore Hong Kong”.

To engage trade and media partners in the source markets, HKTB hosted a series of breakfast events “Buka Puasa Bersama” to promote Hong Kong as a Muslim-friendly destination to more than 150 leading trade and media partners. Moreover, HKTB also hosted a series of Muslim trade and media familiarisation trips from Southeast Asia.

On the consumer front, HKTB partnered with Malaysian broadcaster to film “Projek Bapak Bapak” Season 4, a comedic travel reality show that featured Hong Kong’s cultural and family-friendly attractions and experiences, including martial art workshop, sightseeing at The Peak, theme parks, and Chinese cuisines suitable for Muslim travellers. The programme began airing in Southeast Asia in March 2025.

The campaign also included a successful brand partnership with Nada Puspita, a leading Indonesian Muslim fashion brand, which created new content assets across iconic Hong Kong locations such as Central, Victoria Harbour, Tsim Sha Tsui, the Star Ferry, and trams, generating widespread media coverage.

Celebrating one million Filipino visitors

Hong Kong welcomed the one-millionth visitor of the year in November 2024, breaking the pre-pandemic 2018 record of 930,000 and marking a historical high.

In February 2025, HKTB hosted the “Juan in a Million” Celebration Dinner in the Philippines to commemorate this historic milestone in Hong Kong tourism. The celebration dinner brought together over 180 guests, including media representatives, trade partners, and collaborators.

Filipino celebrity duo Alexa Ilacad and KD Estrada performed alongside Ocean Park’s mascot and dancers, adding vibrancy to the evening. To further encourage Filipino trade partners and media to promote Hong Kong as a destination among the local market, HKTB also presented upcoming attractions and tourism experiences for 2025, building anticipation ahead of the TTE travel trade fair to encourage the trade to go on to promoting Hong Kong.

To further amplify the event’s impact, HKTB arranged exclusive one-on-one interviews with major Philippine broadcasters including ABS-CBN, BNC, GMA, and TV5. The event reinforced Hong Kong’s strong appeal to Filipino travellers and celebrated the deepening tourism ties between the two destinations.

Travel missions to SEA

To further accelerate the growth of specific Southeast Asian markets, from April to August 2024, HKTB went on travel missions to Bangkok, Jakarta, and Manila. For the first time, HKTB led local trade delegates to Ho Chi Minh City on similar travel mission with a view to drive tourism growth from Vietnam.

The travel missions provided a platform for the Hong Kong travel trade to showcase their latest products and services and promote business co-operation and business opportunities through table-top appointments and networking luncheons. The networking initiative was well received among trade partners in the markets, attracting a total of 400 travel agents from the four markets.

Tactical partnerships with airlines and travel agents

Throughout the year, HKTB also proactively rolled out various campaigns with regional airlines and travel agents in Southeast Asia with tactical value-for-money offerings to boost conversion from the region.

Between August and October 2024, HKTB partnered with two major Southeast Asian airlines to promote Hong Kong as a travel destination. In collaboration with Garuda Indonesia, HKTB launched the “Discover Hong Kong” campaign, which featured online media placements, a dedicated landing page on Garuda’s website and app, and targeted email marketing to its member database. The initiative included special fare promotions and successfully drove close to 19,000 ticket sales to Hong Kong. Similarly, HKTB joined forces with AirAsia for the “In the Mood for Hong Kong” campaign. This effort leveraged AirAsia’s owned channels, alongside external media placements to amplify the promotional offers. The campaign resulted in over 10,000 ticket sales to Hong Kong.

In addition, from July 2024 and February 2025, HKTB partnered with leading travel platforms across Southeast Asia to drive interest and bookings for Hong Kong. During Traveloka’s “Epic Sale” in July and August, HKTB promoted Hong Kong travel products—including flights, experiences, and accommodations—across six markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. This campaign generated over 15,000 flight ticket sales.

From September to November, HKTB collaborated with Klook on the “Discover & Uncover Hong Kong” campaign, targeting Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand. The initiative utilised Klook’s owned channels and paid ads across four markets and was further amplified through HKTB’s participation in “Klook Travel Fest”, which featured destination showcases, branded content, and influencer sessions. This partnership resulted in over 470,000 travel product sales, showcasing Hong Kong’s diverse offerings in different experiences.

Moreover, from November 2024 to February 2025, HKTB launched a regional campaign with Trip.com under the theme “Discover Hong Kong’s Hidden Gems,” promoting discounted airfares, hotels, and attraction deals across five Southeast Asian markets, including Vietnam. The campaign led to 27,000 flight ticket sales, thereby reinforcing Hong Kong’s appeal as a vibrant and accessible destination.

(2) Taiwan

In the Taiwan market, HKTB promoted Hong Kong’s world-class experiences that resonated with local travel interests in culture, events, and family-friendly offerings. Through engaging storytelling and upgraded tourism products, HKTB further promoted tourism conversion from the market with strategic partnerships with the local trade, including offering tailored packages and promotions that showcased Hong Kong’s diverse appeal and positioned the city as a vibrant, must-visit destination for travellers from the Taiwan market.

Attracting visitors with a fresh perspective

To rejuvenate Hong Kong’s image as a world-class destination, HKTB leveraged a series of novel experiences in gastronomy, Western festivities, seasonal experiences and shared cultural heritage in the Chinese language circle, inspiring visitors to come to Hong Kong for experiences they have not discovered yet.

Riding on the annual gastronomic gala “Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival”, HKTB highlighted the diverse and attractive gourmet offerings, ranging from authentic local delicacies to Michelin restaurants. These include interviews with celebrity chefs and professional food writers to introduce Hong Kong’s nightlife in dining and bar culture, inviting media and influencers specialised in travel, lifestyle, fashion and wine to create social buzzes.

To further enhance audience’s impression on Hong Kong as a “City of Gastronomy”, HKTB supported the production of a travel variety show hosted by influential celebrity Dee Hsu with various talents in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Through the enigmatic presentation by Hsu, the programme showcased Hong Kong’s signature cuisine and living culture through engaging and entertaining content, inspiring greater travel interest to Hong Kong.

Capitalising on Hong Kong’s East-meets-West cultural diversity and Taiwanese travellers’ interest for western celebrations, HKTB leveraged the Chinese Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan Festival) in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, which is around August, to ramp up travel interests in advance by promoting Hong Kong’s Halloween experiences through media partnership with lifestyle media Popdaily. The campaign received strong positive feedback, sparked interest among young tourists. Through KOLs, fans were invited to visit Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park together to experience the Halloween celebrations.

HKTB also actively promoted and positioned Hong Kong as Asia’s most festive Christmas travel destination. In line with the “Hong Kong WinterFest,” HKTB partnered with popular social media platforms among young people to launch a themed campaign, “Hong Kong’s Romantic Winter Fantasies,” aimed at attracting young couples to celebrate the holidays in Hong Kong.

New perspectives by KOLs

To freshen up Hong Kong’s image as a tourism destination among Taiwanese consumers, HKTB actively engaged online creators and KOLs to participate in various events and experiences to share new funs of Hong Kong from their unique perspectives. In 2024/25, at least 80 KOLs from the Taiwan markets visited Hong Kong by HKTB’s invitation and shared their experiences in city’s festivity, world-class art events culinary delights, scenic beauty, and local lifestyles, successfully reaching a wide audience.

Leveraging shared cultural influence

As Hong Kong is an important part of the Chinese speaking and culture community, Chinese literature by Hong Kong writers is widely recognised among ethnic Chinese around the world. In light of the Taiwan market’s interests in local writers, HKTB partnered with travel magazine “orstyle” to specially curate itineraries riding on Wuxia novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung (Jin Yong) and romance writer Eileen Chang. Combining Hong Kong’s gastronomic offerings related to the eminent writers’ life in Hong Kong, the itineraries promoted the Centennial Memorial exhibition on Cha’s life and the points of interests in Repulse Bay where Chang was closely connected to. The campaign successfully generated awareness of Hong Kong as a sophisticated cultural destination with integrated novel experiences among the Taiwan audience.

Fostering confidence in Hong Kong with first-hand experience

HKTB also collaborated with the Taiwan travel trade and mainstream media, leveraging their extensive networks and credibility to showcase Hong Kong’s strengths as a dynamic and cosmopolitan city.

Throughout the year, HKTB invited more than 50 media representatives and hundreds of travel trade partner from Taiwan to experience Hong Kong in person, successfully reignited travel agents’ enthusiasm and stimulated renewed promotion of Hong Kong tourism upon their return.

For instance, in summer 2024, the HKTB partnered with Cathay Pacific to invite a hundred travel professionals to fly into Hong Kong. They experienced the city through the "Summer Triple Rewards " programme meticulously curated by the HKTB. Furthermore, industry familiarisation tours held in October and December 2024 saw multiple travel agencies launch end-of-year holiday products centred around Halloween or the vibrant winter season. These initiatives successfully generated thousands of bookings in Taiwan.

Innovative product offerings

Sustaining travel momentum in low seasons

Seasonal campaigns also played a key role in conversion. Partnering with China Airline, a Mother’s Day initiative under the “Appreciation Month” theme in May 2024 encouraged young adults to invite their parents on meaningful trips to Hong Kong. This campaign, supported by seven travel agencies, resulted in over 8,000 bookings. Similarly, to sustain travel momentum during the post-Chinese New Year low season in February 2025, HKTB collaborated with China Airlines to roll out a limited-time offer that achieved an impressive 19% growth in orders compared to the same period last year.

In terms of elevating Hong Kong’s luxury appeal, throughout the year, HKTB partnered with major travel operators, such as travel agents and Starlux Airlines, to launch various flight+hotel premium packages. The partnership combined KOL-led storytelling with fine dining and nighttime allure to attract visitors who seek luxurious experiences. Additionally, a collaboration between China Airlines and Michelin-starred restaurants contributed to approximately 1,300 bookings, further reinforcing Hong Kong’s reputation for accessible luxury.

These product innovations not only enhanced Hong Kong’s appeal but also delivered tangible results in driving visitor arrivals from the Taiwan market, contributing to the increase of whole-year visitor arrivals from Taiwan in 2024 by more than 50% from the previous year.

(3) South Korea

In South Korea, the Millennials and Gen-Z segments possess untapped potential for outbound travel. To unlock the opportunities from younger travellers, HKTB identified interests in pop culture, gastronomy and wellness to provide reasons for young South Korean travellers to visit Hong Kong.

Keeping up with Idols

With the widespread influence of pop culture and social networking among young Korean consumers, HKTB capitalised on the consumer mentality of following the footsteps of idols and KOLs to spread word-of-mouth on Hong Kong’s diverse tourism offerings.

During the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival in October 2024, HKTB invited local KOL to participate in the event. Through a YouTube collaboration featuring K-pop idol Sungkyu from INFINITE, whose video on the MBC channel tourfairy garnered 670,000 views, the vibrant atmosphere of Wine & Dine Festival was highlighted in South Korea market. Complementing these efforts, targeted content advertisements on Facebook and Instagram spotlighted Michelin-recommended restaurants and the “Taste Around Town” campaign, reinforcing Hong Kong’s reputation as the world’s “City of Gastronomy”.

Interactive KOL campaign to create talking points

High-impact idol-led media exposure

In addition to online presence, HKTB’s idol-led promotional strategy also spanned mass media. Following their performance at KCON in Hong Kong, South Korean idol group ZEROBASEONE filmed and released a travel video showcasing their Hong Kong experience, including visits to Ngong Ping 360, a Big Bus tour through Kowloon, and a Cantonese meal at Luk Yu Tea House. The video was broadcast on Mnet and the group’s official YouTube channel, reaching a wide fanbase.

Separately, the popular reality show “I Live Alone” by public broadcaster MBC featured renowned actor Ku Sunghwan exploring Hong Kong’s outdoor and culinary offerings, such as the Star Ferry, wonton noodles, and egg tarts. The programme generated 23 YouTube clips, further amplifying the city’s appeal. Additionally, HKTB partnered with JTBC’s “Begin Again”, a music-based reality show, where top Korean singers performed a busking session in the West Kowloon Cultural District. This positioned Hong Kong as a vibrant event city and resulted in 10 YouTube clips, reinforcing the city’s image as a year-round destination for world-class entertainment and cultural experiences.

Promoting Wellness Tourism Trend with Hong Kong Outdoor Festival

Leveraging the emerging trend of wellness lifestyle in South Korea, HKTB continued to promote Hong Kong tourism from a perspective that highlights wellness and outdoor activities. Following last year’s success, the “Hong Kong Outdoor Festival” returned to Hong Kong in mid-February 2025 with uplifted experiences.

The Festival collaborated with global outdoor brand HOKA as a sponsor of apparel and souvenirs for participants and online travel booking platform KLOOK to streamline bookings. The campaign featured trail and road running events and other outdoor activities in Hong Kong, such as the Victoria Peak Trail Run, Central Night-and-Morning Runs, and the Dragon’s Back Trail Run, attracting 140 participants. The participants collectively generated over 300 social media posts.

Riding on the Outdoor Festival, more than ten travel packages were developed with online travel agents and community platforms, making it easier for South Korean travellers to experience Hong Kong’s outdoor lifestyle.

Similarly, HKTB leveraged the opportunity of Hong Kong Cyclothon by partnering with cycling influencer Myn Chaeyoo, who has a loyal fan base in the sports in South Korea, major travel agent Mode Tour to conduct a fandom travel product sales promotion. The viral influencer-led campaign successfully recruited a group of cycling enthusiast to participate in the event in Hong Kong.

Bringing Hong Kong Taste to Korea

HKTB successfully promoted Hong Kong tourism in South Korea by positioning food as a compelling gateway to travel. Through a collaboration with KBS’s popular programme Pop-Up Landing, HKTB brought Hong Kong’s culinary icons to Korean audiences by featuring restaurants such as dai pai dong and Bakehouse. The show’s cast recreated a pop-up restaurant in Hyundai Department Store, bringing authentic Hong Kong taste to South Korea. Four TV episodes dedicated to their travel experiences and one focused on the pop-up restaurant’s launch were broadcast. This immersive storytelling bridged the gap between culture and cuisine, sparking interest in Hong Kong as a travel destination.

Further amplifying the campaign, HKTB partnered with Joongang Ilbo, South Korea’s national newspaper, to publish HK 100 Meals, a comprehensive guidebook introducing 100 diverse Hong Kong dishes across 20 categories. With contributions from renowned chefs Park Chan-il and Wong Yuk-sing, the project showcased the city’s culinary depth and authenticity. Together, these initiatives highlighted Hong Kong’s vibrant food culture and successfully positioned gastronomy as a powerful driver of tourism interest among Korean travellers.

(4) Japan

Attracting first-time visitors with cultural experiences

Outbound tourism growth in Japan showed moderate changes as the Japanese Yen is weak against major currencies, reducing the travel intention among price-sensitive travellers. Under such circumstance, HKTB promoted in Japan Hong Kong’s unique thematic experiences to encourage Japanese consumers to consider the city’s quality experience and diverse appeal as a reason for travel instead.

In particular, HKTB engaged travel and cultural personalities to endorse Hong Kong events and experiences for further sharing, especially through TV and radio networks.

TV show: Kininaru Hong Kong

From April to June 2024, HKTB supported the broadcast of an original TV miniseries, Kininaru Hong Kong, in Japan, airing 15 bite-sized episodes featuring actress Risa Kunimoto exploring Hong Kong’s vibrant neighbourhoods, from arts and street culture to seafood feasts in Sai Kung and classic cha chaan teng meals. This immersive storytelling offered Japanese viewers a taste of Hong Kong’s diversity in just two minutes per episode.

Dedicated contents for first-time visitors

Promoting Hong Kong’s mega event appeal

To further expand awareness of Hong Kong as a cultural destination, HKTB promoted Clockenflap, Hong Kong’s largest music festival, through Tokyo’s J-WAVE radio show Grand Marquee!, with influencer hosts Shinya Takano and Celeina Ann exploring the city’s pop culture and nightlife.

Meanwhile, BS12’s NEXT TRIP – Hong Kong Art Trip featured actress and award-winning art expert Yumi Wakatsuki, former idol from popular girl group Nogizaka46, who guided audiences through Hong Kong’s art scene and authentic cuisine, reinforcing the city’s appeal as a destination where food and culture intertwine seamlessly.

(1) Australia and New Zealand

In long-haul markets where growth of visitor arrivals largely depended on flight availability with Hong Kong, HKTB broadened mass market exposure and strengthened word-of-mouth for establishing Hong Kong as a desirable and international destination through TV, advertisement, brand partnership and thematic product promotions.

Entering Oceanian Households through TV

In Australia and New Zealand, HKTB’s global network prioritised wide-spectrum exposure through media partnership, special campaigns with well-established brands to showcase the city’s vibrant culture, culinary diversity, and unique experiences. On television, HKTB partnered with popular programs to reach wide audiences. Popular culinary reality show MasterChef Australia featured a “Hong Kong Week” with five Hong Kong-themed episodes filmed at iconic locations such as Central’s dai pai dong, the Big Buddha on Lantau Island, and the West Kowloon Cultural District. This collaboration, returning to Hong Kong for the first time since 2009, generated over 1,400 media clips and reached more than 20 million viewers across 180 countries.

Similarly, Travel Guides, Australia and New Zealand’s top-rated travel show, aired a one-hour episode in June 2024 that highlighted traditional activities like lion dances, Tai Chi workshops, and dragon boat racing, attracting 4.2 million viewers.

Another notable initiative was the production of The Streets with Dan Hong, an eight-episode series with celebrity chef Dan Hong exploring Hong Kong’s East-meets-West culinary scene, which garnered over 750,000 viewers and close to 100 media mentions.

Interest-specific publications

Leveraging brand effects

Additionally, HKTB engaged in brand partnerships to further amplify its reach. In October and November 2024, a collaboration with Lee Kum Kee, a Hong Kong-based Asian condiment brand and Asian recipe portal “Asian Inspiration” offered consumers purchasing Lee Kum Kee products a chance to win a 6-day trip to Hong Kong and Guangdong, generating widespread media coverage.

Similarly, HKTB also hosted writers for Asia’s Best Bars in July 2024 to produce credible and engaging content on Hong Kong’s nightlife scene. As well as partnered with leading foodies to promote Hong Kong’s culinary scene including Vincent Lim and chef and TV personality Khanh Ong, capitalising on their widespread influence in their expertise to establish word-of-mouth for Hong Kong’s diverse appeal in gastronomyand neighbourhood experiences.

Thematic Tourism Products & Tactical Promotions

In addition to media promotion, HKTB joined hands with travel agents and booking platforms to roll out various thematic tourism products and tactical promotions to encourage Australian and New Zealand travellers to plan trips to Hong Kong.

In March 2024, HKTB engaged Keith Prowse, the official travel agent for the Hong Kong Sevens, to promote packages, tapping into the strong sports tourism segment. Likewise, in July and August 2024, HKTB launched a consumer tactical campaign with Expedia, one of the region’s leading online travel agents, to promote summer air and hotel bookings.

Launching cruise and Hong Kong stopover travel products

In addition, recognising the growing interest in cruise travel in the Oceanian markets, HKTB also collaborated with Inspiring Vacations and My Cruises to jointly promote cruise-themed packages that combined cruises with post-cruise Hong Kong onshore experiences to encourage cruise travellers to explore Hong Kong. Sharing a segment of nautical adventure, travel agent World Travellers NZ also featured Hong Kong in its “Smooth Sailing” brochure, aiming to spark interest among cruise enthusiasts.

To further diversify conversion of visitor arrivals from different segments, HKTB worked with booking platform Kayak to promote stopover products in Hong Kong to stimulate spending of stopover consumers from the region, encouraging travellers to include Hong Kong as a key destination in their multi-city itineraries.

Another significant milestone was HKTB’s collaboration with Qantas to celebrate 75 years of flights between Australia and Hong Kong. This partnership introduced tactical promotions that leveraged Qantas’ legacy and reach to boost visitor arrivals.

Altogether, HKTB rolled out more than 25 joint campaigns with various travel trade partners. These efforts not only enhanced Hong Kong’s visibility in the market but also provided tangible booking opportunities, reinforcing the city’s appeal as a vibrant and accessible destination for Australian and New Zealand travellers.

(2) The Americas

For the North American markets including the US and Canada, HKTB focused on speeding up visitor returns via a three-pronged strategy. First, HKTB localised Hong Kong experiences to resonate with North American audiences, then accelerated travel conversion through targeted campaigns and partnerships. Noting long-haul travellers’ demand on value-added experiences, HKTB also proactively expanded Hong Kong’s market potential as a destination by promoting Hong Kong as a gateway to multi-destination travel in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), driving visitor arrivals from the US and Canada.

Localising Hong Kong Experiences

To create cultural relevance and emotional connection with Canadian travellers, HKTB promoted Hong Kong tourism appeals with both content marketing and in-market activation. In July 2024, HKTB partnered with the City of Toronto to promote Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival during “Summerlicious,” City of Toronto’s largest food festival. The campaign included billboards in high-traffic areas and featured a Hong Kong-themed dinner with Michelin-starred chefs Alvin Leung and Cheng Kam-fu. HKTB leveraged the event to invite Canadians to HKWD, by running a contes to generate leads of over 5,000 entries, adding to our database of Canadians regularly receiving travel package offers.

Similarly, in October 2024, HKTB brought Hong Kong’s creative talent to Canada through artist Dr Hung Keung’s installation at “Nuit Blanche Toronto”, one of the city’s premier art events. The event is part of the “Arts in Hong Kong” promotion campaign. The installation was well received and was featured in major outlets including CP24, CTV, CBC, Global News, and the Toronto Star, shining light on art experiences in Hong Kong This large-scale event was attended by about 1M visitors.

Leveraging reality show fever

In March 2025, HKTB further amplified Hong Kong’s visibility in the US from a perspective that is American travellers are familiar with by featuring the city in the long-time travel reality show The Amazing Race (Season 37). Broadcast in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago, the episodes showcased contestants engaging in culturally rich challenges such as racing to the Big Buddha and climbing the Bun Tower in Cheung Chau, reaching over 2.4 million viewers and showcasing some less-trodden paths in Hong Kong to stimulate travel desire among American viewers.

Catching up with new travel demands

HKTB launched several tactical campaigns to boost leisure tourism from the Americas. In partnership with Air Canada, HKTB offered the “Hong Kong Flight Pass” with flexible flight credits at discounted rates from March to April 2024, which allows travellers greater flexibility on their travel dates when deciding to go on long-haul trips. As a continuation of the campaign, HKTB also joined Air Canada’s Asia Summer Campaign, which positioned Hong Kong as the hero destination for the peak travel season of summer. The initiatives led to sales of nearly 7,000 credits and 11,500 bookings to Hong Kong.

Analytics-based marketing

Attracting high-yield visitors with always-on experiences

HKTB has also worked with Bell Media in Canada and LA Times in the US to position Hong Kong as a must-visit destination for affluent travellers. Through TV and digital content, the partnership targeted affluent and business travellers via CTV, CP24 and BNN Bloomberg, featuring dining, art and great outdoor experiences in Hong Kong.

In October 2024, HKTB leveraged the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival to design culinary-themed travel packages with four tour operators, which were featured in consumer campaigns through Toronto Star and Globe and Mail. Radio DJs joined the tours to amplify the experience and attracted a high-yield group of 60. Meanwhile, in the US, HKTB partnered with the LA Times for the “Food Bowl” campaign to further spotlight Hong Kong’s gastronomic experiences among American travellers, culminating in an exclusive dinner in Los Angeles with award-winning Hong Kong chef Vicky Cheng. Chef Vicky Cheng also joined Chef Curtis Stone and LA Times Deputy of Food, Laurie Ochoa, for a special screening of the Emmy-nominated television program, Field Trip with Curtis Stone: Hong Kong, along with a panel discussion where the three discussed the Hong Kong’s culinary scene.

Multi-destination tourism for more value-added appeal

(3) Europe

To strengthen Hong Kong’s tourism appeal in Europe, HKTB focused on strengthening the destination impression as an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange and Asia’s event capital. Through comprehensive media partnerships with influencer engagement and tactical travel promotions, HKTB ramped up exposure of Hong Kong’s unique characteristics to attract culture-curious Western travellers.

Strengthening Hong Kong as Events Capital of Asia

HKTB engaged a wide spectrum of media in Europe to ramp up Hong Kong’s event excitement throughout the year to strengthen the city as the Events Capital of Asia. For instance, European media featured over 400 articles across events such as the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival, Hong Kong Cyclothon, Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, Hong Kong WinterFest, and the Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations, including BBC, ITV, Sky News, Les Echos, Le Parisien, and The Telegraph. HKTB also worked with UK TV chef Ching He Huang and UK content creator Shu Lin for Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations, hosting them as guests during the festivities. Their immersive, on-the-ground coverage was amplified across their social channels.

In particular, to highlight Hong Kong’s unique East-meets-West culture to European travellers, HKTB took the International Chinese New Year Night Parade as a topic of interest for promotions. As a result, the event and other Chinese New Year experiences in Hong Kong were widely covered in the UK, France and Germany, supported by a 90-minute episode on Echappées Belles, France’s top travel show.

Promoting core experiences by leveraging mega events

In addition, HKTB also rolled out campaigns that connected to European travellers’ pursuit in trends and culture riding on various mega events.

To promote Hong Kong’s gastronomy scene and its vibrant neighbourhoods, HKTB in the UK partnered with British Chinese TV chef and author Jeremy Pang on the ITV series Jeremy Pang’s Hong Kong Kitchen, which launched digitally on the ITVX streaming platform in March 2025 and will be broadcast on ITV in May 2025. The six-episode TV series features a different celebrity guest joining Jeremy in each episode—including BBC MasterChef judge and food critic Grace Dent—and showcases authentic local flavours, stories, and neighbourhoods across Hong Kong. The show generated an impressive publicity value of HKD 26 million in March alone, underscoring its strong audience appeal and promotional impact.

In another initiative to promote Hong Kong’s culinary culture, HKTB ran a social media campaign featuring British chef Dan Lee, winner of MasterChef UK while a radio campaign featuring Chef May Chow ran on London Magic Radio timed during the Wine and Dine Festival.

Capitalising on France’s rugby 7 enthusiasm following its Olympic win, HKTB seized the chance to promote Hong Kong Sevens and outdoor experiences, resulting in about 100 articles and social media posts. HKTB also ran a media co-op with Rugby World and also worked with Cathay Pacific in the UK leveraging digital out-of-home placement in London alongside targetted paid social activity.

Similarly, HKTB also created cultural links with the European consumers through world-class art fair Art Basel. During Art Basel Paris in October 2024, HKTB recreated the Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng, resulting in over 50 pieces of coveragerom the UK, French and German media outlets, complemented by previews of 2025 events, evergreen art & culture experiences in HK, and curated content in German magazines Freundin and InStyle. Influencer engagement further amplified visibility, with 48 KOLs visited the Art Basel Paris cha chaan teng experiences, including Paris-based cha chaan teng owner Davina Chang. In the UK, HKTB also promoted Arts in Hong Kong via Conde Nast Traveller social media campaign, as well as a London Magic Radio campaign featuring Liang Yi Museum Director Lynn Fung.

To further showcase Hong Kong’s East-meets-West lifestyle and culinary highlights year-round, HKTB partnered with German Michelin-starred chef Tim Raue for a TV programme aired on Magenta TV in January 2025. The show featured culinary experiences in seafood restaurants in Sai Kung, tofu making and tasting. After the trip in Hong Kong, the programme also showcased the chef’s reinterpretation of Hong Kong cuisine in his restaurant in Berlin, which also led to a four-page feature in Essen & Trinken magazine.

In the UK, HKTB collaborated with leading media publications—including The Telegraph, Daily Mail, and Wanderlust Magazine and KOLs such as Alex Stead and @handluggageonly to spotlight Hong Kong’s core visitor experiences. These partnerships showcased the Great Outdoors such as scenic hiking trails, world-class food and nightlife scene, compelling art and cultural encounters, and the advantages that make Hong Kong the stopover of choice for long-haul market travellers.

Wide range of product selection

To drive visitor arrivals from the UK, HKTB launched partnership campaigns with tour operators to promote Hong Kong as a stopover and as part of Asia multi-destination itineraries, working with leading brands such as Trailfinders, Flight Centre and DNATA. HKTB also collaborated with Cathay Pacific on a tactical campaign that included TV advertising via UK Amazon Prime Video.

In addition, a high-performing pan-European campaign with Odigeo significantly expanded the reach and drove strong bookings.

HKTB launched event-based travel packages with French operators such as Marco Vasco and Les Maison du Voyage. In light of the Arts Month and Art Basel partnership , HKTB partnered with German magazine Bunte to promote travelling to Hong Kong as a must-visit destination with a hotel & flight package giveaway. In addition, a partnership with lifestyle media InStyle further amplified the city’s artistic and cultural appeal, featuring iconic attractions like West Kowloon Cultural District and Tai Kwun while encouraging travellers to explore Hong Kong as part of a multi-destination itinerary.

From September 2024 to January 2025, HKTB partnered with MisterFly for a smart TV advertising campaign targeting high-income consumers in Paris, supported by a dedicated Hong Kong mini site on the travel agent’s platform. The campaign reached over 3 million viewers and sold more than 200 packages, reinforcing Hong Kong’s appeal as a vibrant and culturally rich destination for European travellers.

To open up Gen-Z travel segment in Europe, HKTB partnered with tour operator Journaway to promote Hong Kong tourism through a new multi-destination trip and a Chinese New Year-themed influencer trip to Hong Kong resulting in social promotion and a podcast episode. The collaboration additionally featured a stopover travel product giveaway with Journaway, offering “3 nights in Hong Kong for free” to increase awareness of Hong Kong as a gateway destination for multi-destination travel. Furthermore Chinese New Year trade events in Germany, France and the UK were conducted to encourage trade partners in the market to develop and promote immersive Hong Kong experiences. The UK also hosted a number of trade fams including a VIP fam trip with key tour operators for the Rugby 7s.

(4) India

HKTB adopted a comprehensive strategy to promote Hong Kong tourism in India by creating immersive, experience-led engagement. Combining media and trade partnership, HKTB enhanced the impression of Hong Kong as a leisure destination, while strengthening the MICE segment in the Indian markets.

Recreating Hong Kong experience in India

In September and October 2024, HKTB brought the excitement of Hong Kong’s mega events directly to India to spark interest and engagement among local audiences.

To promote the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, HKTB partnered with All Things Nice to organise "Date Night in Hong Kong” a 3-city Bar Takeover in collaboration with Quinary, a Hong Kong bar listed on “Asia’s 50 Best Bars” for multiple times. Quinary’s Indian bartenders Kai and Gurung toured upscale bars in Bengaluru (ZLB23), Mumbai (AER), and New Delhi (Library Bar), serving signature cocktails and showcasing Hong Kong’s vibrant bar scene. The campaign attracted over 520 participants, including local KOL, and generated positive media reports, further positioning Hong Kong as a top destination for culinary and nightlife experiences.

Full-fledge promotion of festive celebrations

Weekend Wonders: Hong Kong for Indian Families

In March 2025, HKTB strived to promote Hong Kong tourism among family travellers and launched “Hong Kong Weekenders” with India’s largest English-language publication Times of India and travel and lifestyle media Curly Tales to position Hong Kong as a family-friendly destination.

The Times of India featured Bollywood actors Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi on a family trip, while Curly Tale’s founder and travel influencer Kamiya Jani explored Hong Kong on a mother-daughter trip. The initiative generated 10 videos and 13 articles viewed by 5.3 million on Times of India, and 12 stories with 426,000 views on Curly Tales.

On top of these, HKTB teamed up with major media outlets to promote Hong Kong tourism with content marketing through celebrity stories, immersive experiences and quality editorials, showcasing the city’s art, culinary, neighbourhood and festive appeals, reaching out to millions of Indian consumers to strengthen Hong Kong’s image as a culturally rich destination suitable for family travellers.

Driving booking with travel agent promotions

During the peak travel season from December to March, HKTB has joined hands with five top Indian travel agencies including Thrillophilia, MakeMyTrip, EasemyTrip, Musafir.com and Yatra to boost sales of tourism products to Hong Kong. The products covered a wide range of Hong Kong experiences such as family and theme parks, Christmas celebrations, art and cultural craftmanship and many more, supported by exclusive travel deals on hotels, flights, and activities. Marketing efforts include vibrant social media promotions on Facebook and Instagram, brand collaborations, and offline activations in Delhi Metro, all aimed at showcasing Hong Kong’s festive charm, cultural richness, and unforgettable experiences. The partnership drove more than 42,000 bookings to Hong Kong.

Strengthening Hong Kong’s Status in Incentive travels

Besides leisure tourism, the Indian market demonstrated a robust demand in MICE tourism, especially for incentive travels. To capitalise on the growing segment, HKTB invited the key Indian MICE agents for a four-day familiarisation trip in April 2024, and launched the HKTB’s new MICE tourism promotion resources, “Hong Kong Incentive Playbook” showcasing the Hong Kong’s latest attractions, team-building opportunities, and unique cultural experiences, with the aim of enriching business travel experiences. The activities generated seven potential leads and resulted in over 2,700 visitor arrivals from Indian business travellers.

Similarly, another familiarisation trip held for Indian MICE agents during the Wine & Dine Festival in October saw eight MICE tour operators participate, successfully securing a group of 125 high-yield incentive travellers, further enhancing Hong Kong’s appeal for Indian incentive travellers.

MICE outreach in India

HKTB also actively engaged the Indian MICE market through participation in major industry events such as MICE Travel Mart (MTM) Mumbai in May 2024, MICE India & Luxury Travel (MILT) Congress in Jaipur in July, and the MTM Delhi in January 2025.

Through these outreach efforts, HKTB built strong connections with the corporate decision-makers and expanded business potential for meetings and incentive tourism group. In total, 188 meetings were conducted in these outreaches, resulting in 50 potential leads from sectors including insurance, pharmaceuticals, building materials, consumer durables, and fast-moving consumer goods. As a result, six groups with thousands of high-yield visitors were secured.