We are about to bid farewell to 2023, and it is about time to review the year. As we work hard to create business opportunities and enhance the competitiveness of the tourism industry with various promotions and campaigns, we also invite the travel trade and visitors from all over the world to visit Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is the gateway between the Greater Bay Area and overseas cities, and has been playing the role of a "super-connector" over the years. In October this year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), together with the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province and the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), organised the first large-scale overseas promotion of the Greater Bay Area in Bangkok, Thailand after travel resumed, to introduce the new attractions in the Area to the market.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's cruise tourism has also been recovering steadily. The largest annual cruise industry conference in Asia, 2023 Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific, was also successfully held in Hong Kong in October. The event attracted some 300 cruise industry leaders from around the world to Hong Kong. The HKTB also invited cruise tourism leaders to first-hand experiences and hence promote the city to cruise travellers around the world.

From September to November, the HKTB also launched a series of promotions, ranging from the traditional Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance during the Mid-Autumn Festival to the fun-filled Halloween, showcasing Hong Kong's unique festivities and East-meets-West appeal to the rest of the world.

The Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival and the Hong Kong WinterFest, two of HKTB’s flagship events, also took place one after another. The Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival attracted some 140,000 visitors over four days, including visitors from nearly 20 countries and regions.

Besides, starting from November, the HKTB has rolled out the giveaway of 1 million “Hong Kong Night Treats” visitor dining vouchers and launched the “Hong Kong Night Bus” open-top sightseeing bus offers to visitors to encourage visitors to enjoy Hong Kong’s nightlife, boosting visitor spending and benefiting the tourism industry and the economy.

Looking ahead, HKTB will continue to showcase Hong Kong's unique appeal through various promotions, while maintaining close co-operation with the travel trade to promote tourism development. We would like to wish you all the best in the coming year, and the tourism industry even greater success.