Latest news with #HongKongTourismBoard
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong hoping ‘Summer Viva' campaign will make tourists extend stays
The Hong Kong Tourism Board will ramp up efforts to encourage family and business visitors to extend their stay in the city by promoting diverse travel experiences, the body's new chief has said. Advertisement Board chairman Peter Lam Kin-ngok said on Friday that Hong Kong could no longer rely on past glories by only promoting itself as a food and shopping paradise and should capitalise on the increased number of tourists and opportunities brought by the current geopolitical situation. 'Hong Kong is safe for family tourism. You don't find any other places like Hong Kong, safe and convenient with multiple choices for your choosing,' Lam, whose tenure started in April, said. Hong Kong welcomed 12.2 million arrivals in the first quarter of 2025, a 9 per cent year-on-year increase, the largest quarterly growth since travel resumed after the Covid-19 pandemic. Arrivals plummeted by 94 per cent year on year to 3.57 million in 2020 as the pandemic struck, compounding an already sharp decline seen from months of social unrest, with daily visitor numbers falling from 200,000 in the first half of 2019 to below 3,000 in February 2020. Advertisement 'My biggest challenge as the new chairman is I don't blindly just chase visitor arrival numbers, more important is the quality. And one big challenge is how to keep the tourists to stay in Hong Kong longer,' Lam said, adding that currently tourists stayed for an average of 3.2 nights.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Dane Cheng to step down as head of Hong Kong Tourism Board, search for successor begins
Dane Cheng Ting-yat, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, will step down in October when his contract ends after six years in the role, the Post has learned, while a global recruitment drive to find his successor has been launched. The board posted job advertisements on its website and professional networking platform LinkedIn on Monday finding Cheng's successor. A source said Cheng would take a break after he finished his second three-year contract. The recruitment ad stated that candidates should have a deep understanding of the tourism industry, both locally and internationally, along with a proven track record of executive leadership in multinational organisations, including profit and loss responsibility. Candidates must have extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, high-level governance and media relations, as well as in acting as an organisational representative. They must also show strong marketing acumen, multicultural awareness and significant experience in strategic planning, change management, driving business performance, developing customer-centric marketing strategies and risk management.
The Mainichi
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Hong Kong 'Super Fan' from Japan weaves art in city's vivid colors
OSAKA -- Japanese embroidery artist Katsumi Takeoka features Hong Kong themes such as pandas and "yum cha" dim sum and tea breakfasts in her works that are catching eyes both in Hong Kong and Japan. Based in Osaka, Takeoka is passionate about Hong Kong and was certified as a "Hong Kong Super Fan" by the Hong Kong Tourism Board in 2021. Among her creations is "Panda Paradise," with fuzzy pandas so cute one wants to pet them, gathered around a table. Other motifs include hanging roasted ducks found in shopfronts, bottles of oyster sauce and "bo lo yau" buns with butter in the center, closely reflecting daily Hong Kong life. Takeoka uses a technique called "punch needle" to give her embroidery a three-dimensional, fluffy look, employing thick yarn rather than traditional embroidery thread along with a specialized needle. The result is visually dynamic, and she sometimes adds beads or sequins to further accentuate the "kawaii" (cute) appeal. The artist spoke about how the lively image of Hong Kong seen in vibrant signboards or neon lights owes itself to traditional feng shui color practices. "Colors like red and gold, which symbolize health and prosperity, are preferred and used everywhere in the city, perhaps making it feel so energetic," Takeoka said. After graduating from art university, Takeoka worked as a designer for a baby bedding manufacturer. Her first visit to Hong Kong was in 1999. As someone accustomed to pale pastel hues for baby products, she found the Hong Kong cityscape to be a stimulating "flood of color." As her work involved using computers, she realized she wanted to create something by hand. She then remembered a "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" embroidery kit her mother bought her when she was a child. Takeoka resumed embroidery, starting her career as an artist in 2000. About 10 years ago, she purchased beads and sequins in Hong Kong and began thinking it might be interesting to make Hong Kong-themed works using the materials. In 2021, the Hong Kong Tourism Board ran a coloring contest featuring scenes of the city as part of a campaign. Although Takeoka was unable to enter during the application period, she converted a coloring design into an embroidery piece and posted it on Instagram, catching the attention of tourism board officials. In 2023, she was invited to participate in an art exhibition in Hong Kong, where she also worked on a joint project with a local artist. People often ask if Takeoka plans to move to Hong Kong, but her answer is a no. "I always want to keep the sense of excitement I feel as a tourist." For future projects, she is interested in the theme of "Neo-Hong Kong:" "I want to express a futuristic, ever-evolving Hong Kong," she said, her eyes gleaming with creative determination. Aside from embroidery, Takeoka also creates pieces with tufting, a weaving technique for carpets and other fabrics. (Japanese original by Mayu Maemoto, Osaka City News Department)
Barnama
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival Returns In Full Force To Victoria Harbour
KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- The 2025 Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races will return to Victoria Harbour from June 7 to 8, marking the highlight of this year's Dragon Boat Festival celebrations. Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association, the event will feature over 190 teams from 12 countries and regions, including debut participants from Qatar and Egypt. HKTB, in a statement said the festivities aim to celebrate the city's cultural heritage while promoting Hong Kong as a vibrant travel destination.
Barnama
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
Paddles Up: Race Into Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival
HONG KONG, May 19 (Bernama) -- The boats are fierce, the drums are loud and the energy is electric – Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival is back in spectacular style! Each year, this high-adrenaline celebration draws elite paddlers from around the world to compete in one of the city's most anticipated summer events. While races take place citywide, the spotlight will shine on the 2025 Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association, returning to Victoria Harbour from 7-8 June. The race will transform the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade into a festival hotspot each year. This year, over 190 teams from 12 countries and regions, including teams from Qatar and Egypt for the first time, will compete in high-energy races set against Hong Kong's iconic skyline, drawing cheering crowds of locals and visitors alike.
