HONG KONG’s recovery as an incentive destination is gathering pace with the city welcoming nearly 300 meeting and incentive groups over the past six months.
More than 160 MICE-travel and corporate event organisers from India, South Korea and mainland China were also hosted on curated fam trips over the past two months.
And the largest Chinese incentive group is descending on Hong Kong this month with 1,250 best-performing distributors of the liquor brand Luzhou Laojiao arriving in five phases. The organisers’ decision to choose the city quickly arose following one of the fam trips earlier this year, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) said in a statement.
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HKTB said “artfully curated familiarisation trips” have been organised to further capture the pent-up demand for incentive travel in the region and showcase Hong Kong’s latest and greatly enhanced offerings” to group organisers.
“They returned home with great memories, excitement on new discoveries and immediate plans to bring major events to Hong Kong, while the city welcomed the largest incentive group from the mainland,” a HKTB spokesman said of the 160 organisers from China, South Korea and India.
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New itinerary attractions included West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) with its two world-class museums – Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+, the revamped Peak Tram, Waterworld Ocean Park, experiences around Lantau island, Hong Kong’s Country Parks and a speedboat experience in Sai Kung, which is enroute to the Unesco Global Geopark.
“Hong Kong has been accelerating the development of infrastructure and tourism resources,” said Kenneth Wong, HKTB’s general manager for MICE and Cruises.
“Seeing is believing – that’s the best way for anyone to experience what the city has to offer, as new attractions have been unveiled, and innovative MICE products and generous funding support have also been introduced. We are thrilled that our guests were impressed, and Hong Kong continues to be chosen as a top choice for incentive travel.”
PARTY SPIRIT
Beyond the city’s signature attractions, “immersive experiences” were also created to help inspire incentive and corporate event planners with ideas for attracting groups to Hong Kong.
DIPTI NARVEKAR, senior manager – MICE, Thomas Cook India: “Hong Kong is full of party ideas, day and night, perfect for team bonding. From bar-hopping to a poolside party at the new Water World Ocean Park or adrenaline-racing VR Sandbox, or a more premium horse-racing parties, Hong Kong has a lot of action to keep my clients who are partygoers coming back for more.”
MOMENTOUS LANTAU
LIU JUN, procurement director, Hunan Ruizhi International Conference Exhibition: “Lantau is a neighbourhood that is full of surprises and exceptional experiences – Discovery Bay is exotic and off the beaten track. Yachting is a great way to chillax, and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is as always full of creative entertainment for planning memorable team experiences.”
GREAT OUTDOORS
A representative of the Chinese liquor brand bringing the 1,250-person incentive group to Hong Kong, who are arriving in phases, said: “We’re glad to host the first cross-boundary trip after the pandemic. The groups are excited to experience Hong Kong’s latest cultural art quarter and an all-time classic – a cruise party on Victoria Harbour.
“Through state-of-the-art cross-boundary infrastructure, we can make our multi-destination itinerary of Hong Kong and Macau an enriched and seamless journey.”
Nam Hyo Rim, a section manager with The MICE, South Korea, said: “Hong Kong is a multicultural city with a perfect blend of East and West. The new museums in the city’s flagship arts and cultural quarter, WKCD, not only have world-class art exhibitions but also diverse flexible event venues for MICE groups to draw inspiration and stimulate creativity.”
Kong Yan, general manager at NEW VIEW (Shenzhen) M.I.C.E SERVICE said: “My perception of Hong Kong has been renewed by the wide range of new experiences, from exclusive group arrangements at theme parks including the spectacular multimedia show – Visions of Hong Kong and Soul of the Ocean at Ocean Park… and the Momentous show at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, to VIP horse-racing parties. It’s truly unforgettable.”
Main picture: Korean incentive travel organisers enjoy one of the team-bonding experiences at Waterworld Ocean Park, Hong Kong
