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Representatives from the tourism offices of Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao officiate the opening ceremony of the “Greater Bay Area – Connecting Great Experiences”. First role from left to right: • Ms Ou Caiqun, Level II Bureau Rank Official, Guanhzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture. Radio, Television and Tourism • Mr Parson Lam, Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Bangkok • Mr Zhang Yimin, Deputy Director General of Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province • Mr Dane Cheng, Executive Director, the Hong Kong Tourism Board • Ms Betty Fok, Head of Destination Marketing Department of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) • Ms Becky Ip, Deputy Executive Director, the Hong Kong Tourism Board -
Mr Dane Cheng, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), says that HKTB has launched a promotional campaign under the new Greater Bay Area tourism brand to present the tourism experience in the Area and further enhance the overall competitiveness of the entire region.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board, Guangdong’s Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Macao Government Tourism Office jointly launch an expansive Greater Bay Area tourism initiative, aiming to enhance the region’s multi-destination appeal to global trade partners and consumers.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province and the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) have jointly launched a new promotion on the Greater Bay Area (GBA) tourism brand. The campaign kicked off with the first large-scale overseas GBA promotion event after the pandemic in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme “Greater Bay Area – Connecting Great Experiences”. HKTB, in collaboration with the tourism offices of Guangdong and Macao, introduced the novel tourism appeals to Thailand’s trade partners and media. Additionally, a new all-in-one GBA tourism website, travel programme and series of promotional activities have also been launched to showcase the diverse attractiveness of GBA to visitors. Mr Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism was also on his visit in Thailand and met the GBA delegation in Bangkok to show the Hong Kong SAR Government‘s full support to the partnership between cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area on outreach promotions of multi-destination tourism in the Area.
Mr Dane Cheng, the Executive Director of the HKTB, remarked, “Hong Kong has the advantage of its exceptional connectivity with the world and plays a crucial role in promoting GBA tourism. By consolidating the abundant tourism resources of the ‘9+2 cities’, the HKTB is launching a series of promotions under the new GBA tourism brand to showcase the all-round tourism experiences available within the region, attracting visitors to plan their multi-destination journey in the GBA, and further enhancing the tourism competitiveness of the entire region.”
Mr Zhang Yimin, Deputy Director General of Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, said, “Guangdong and Thailand are important tourist sources and destinations for each other. Guangdong strives to develop the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a world-class tourism destination. Through this event, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province promoted the culture and tourism assets of cities of the Greater Bay Area, which in turn enriched the contents of multi-destination itineraries to the GBA. Moving forward, we will join hands with Hong Kong and Macao to promote the GBA tourism brand and enhance the appeal and reputation of the Greater Bay Area as a world-class tourist destination.”
Ms Betty Fok, Head of Destination Marketing Department of MGTO, said, “Macao is celebrated for its world heritage ‘Historic Centre of Macao’ and reputation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy; together with the city’s world-class integrated resorts and leisure facilities as well as exciting mega-events, Macao continues to deepen the integration between tourism and other sectors, promote diversified tourism development, and consolidate its positioning as a world centre of tourism and leisure. Riding on Macao’s unique advantages, MGTO is committed to enriching the tourism offerings and experiences in the Greater Bay Area, and jointly branding the region as a distinctive destination that holds wide appeal for travellers from different parts of the world.”
The largest overseas promotion of GBA tourism after the pandemic
Over the years, HKTB has maintained close connections with the tourism offices of various cities in the GBA through the “Guangdong, Hong Kong & Macao Tourism Marketing Organisation”. With the full resumption of travel, the new GBA tourism brand is officially introduced. As the inaugural activity, the HKTB, together with cities in Guangdong Province and Macao, hosted the “Greater Bay Area – Connecting Great Experiences” promotional event in Bangkok, Thailand. A delegation of more than 30 representatives introduced the latest tourism developments in GBA to over 100 trade partners, media, and key opinion leaders (KOLs) in Thailand, inspiring travel trade partners to design itineraries and generating positive media coverage to attract visitors.
An all-in-one thematic GBA travel website
To facilitate visitors to explore the GBA holistically, HKTB has also rolled out a brand new all-in-one thematic travel website (www.discovergreaterbayarea.com). Visitors can discover about 90 attractions and experiences across the “9+2 cities” in GBA according to four major experiences, namely “Local Delicacy”, “Cultural & Heritage”, “Theme Park Thrills” and “Festive Celebrations”. The website also provides curated itineraries and useful information on currency and payment, transportation, etc.
Travel programme showcasing attractions in GBA
In addition, young Thai artist Na (Naphat Vikairungroj) and programme host Petch (Tawan Taradolrattanakorn) were invited to visit Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in person for the travel programme The First Ultimate. The talents became tour guides and introduced to the audience the cultural heritage sites and exciting new attractions in each city. The programme is set to be aired on YouTube, Thailand local TV channels and online media platforms starting from November. During the event yesterday, the two hosts also shared their visit experiences and provided a sneak peek of the programme.
Inviting trade partners for “Seeing is Believing”
In addition, HKTB collaborated with the China National Tourism Administration, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province and the MGTO to invite the travel trade partners from North American markets for a 9-day, 8-night familiarisation trip in Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou and Jiangmen in September. The familiarisation trip aims to inspire travel trade partners in visitor source markets to develop and offer GBA itineraries to their consumers through their own first-hand experiences.
Looking ahead, HKTB will continue to promote and consolidate the abundant tourism assets of cities in the GBA, and attract visitors to embark on multi-destination journeys to the region, thereby enhancing the overall tourism competitiveness of GBA.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
