Promoting HK to tourists.

[hongkongmusic]

China has never been popular for most of the world. Considering size and population of the country, its visitor numbers are underwhelming: 48mil in 2018 vs. Thailand's 40mil or France's 89mil (+/- depending which source you reference).

That's right. North American / European / Aussie and New Zealand / and well off South East Asia folk / S. Korean & Japan - China has nothing to offer. There was a point when they opened up some 20 years ago when people were interested. Now, don't see it happening.

People I'm in contact with abroad don't know or care about the NSL and any details. But, there's an awareness HK is controlled by China now, explicitly. Tourists, in general, avoid these kinds of destinations.

[GentleGeorge]

China's tourism board has huge budgets but are clueless. Same mentality that prevents CGTN from being a world class broadcaster (and no, I don't mean the censorship), and same mentality that dishes up sea cucumber and fish maw to invited guests in an attempt to impress.

Well put.

One might expect this sort of thing to have more effect in a place like HK where there is cultural understanding already, but the fact it's even failing here shows something has to improve

[East_coast]

Soft power isn't state financed in most cases

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...IIBA%253D%253D

[Peaky]

Were the Hello HK people a bit too proud to make a bit of noise and offer a few hundred free tickets from European and American cities as part of the give away? Seems to me it would have been picked up in the news quite widely and could easily have been spun into some good publicity. At the very least it would have put HK front of mind briefly, especially if tied in with the sevens.

Instead we got inconsequential “goodies” for people who would have come anyway. Standard HK screw up I guess.

As for mainland... I've got myself a guidebook and plan at least a couple of trips in the year ahead. Seems silly not to take the chance.

[sarsi]

People I'm in contact with abroad don't know or care about the NSL and any details. But, there's an awareness HK is controlled by China now, explicitly. Tourists, in general, avoid these kinds of destinations.

Ok.. my segment are the ones who would have come like before but not interested if HK is still slumbering in pandemic lifestyle mode because they feel not going to get the value out of that trip, should wait till shops are fully up and running.

I don't know anyone in your segment but it actually makes no diff to me. That's sorta why there is the promotion bit - it may seem standard biz for countries to run tourism promo every now and then but not really true. Apart from posters at travel agencies and travel fairs, when was the last time you saw a TV or print ad for eg USA grand canyon, universal studios, six flags? Or to visit Egypt, see pyramids, go experience safari in Africa? Promotion is only when you weren't known as a touristy country before and wanna put urself on the map like Korea capitalizing on kdrama fever or known but have new resort to sell (HK disneyland) or when you are short on natural or made-made attractions capable of marketing itself. You don't need to sell and publicize Niagara Falls or Stonehenge - those things sell themselves. I've seen some for Japan long ago but Japan can basically do nothing and it would still have visitors making their way there to see for themselves, curious abt the world of manga and anime, train perverts, panty vending machines or just the country that pretty much defined gaming as how we know it today. Japan sells itself from its own culture that seeps thru in every product exported to the world. Hoover Dam sells itself. I don't see China low tourist numbers as a marketing fail at all. China is full on natural and historical attractions that can sell themselves on a postcard. What it doesn't have is tourist infrastructure. You can package all the mainland dirt cheap tours you want - you won't find many external liaison agencies pairing up because where are the public toilets.. and they need to be acceptable to tourists of various countries so a minimum sanitary condition. Clinics if ppl fall sick.. footpaths. You need to address that before you can credit marketing or cluelessness as a contributing factor..

Cityscape places like South-east Asia where logically no GDP higher countries would come for holiday cuz like what they don't have cityscape at home and better ones and therefore need to conjure up attractions is why promotion is needed. NSL to me is no different like any of these problems - just another pimple on the face to pop.

[sarsi]

https://www.thestandard.com.hk/break...ent-complaints

We have to tackle the crowding issue as the government has shown its strong stance and the industry wants to improve as well,” Chui said. Chui added that the cruise lunch would increase operational costs by about HK$20 (US$2.5) per visitor, but it would still be manageable for tour agencies

I don't know what's going on tbh.. so they're not looking at this as a profit making business but as a life enriching experience or what ;_;


https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...mpaign=3216237

The manager of the cruises stated that this has hopefully brought a win-win scenario by diverting the large number of mainland tourists who gathered in Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan

Where the win-win. I cannot find.. is it in the Hong Kong-style curry chicken or the Sichuan-style spicy tofu..

So I sent the zippyshare article to certain official and cruise operator. 45 milliion visits makes NO MONEY

[AsianXpat0]

Well put.

One might expect this sort of thing to have more effect in a place like HK where there is cultural understanding already, but the fact it's even failing here shows something has to improve

Isn’t it exactly that sort of cultural understanding that was behind the protests? Cheng Lei was from CGTN before her detention, I don’t think the more risk averse among us are all that anxious to “understand” more.