HKTB Leads Local Travel Trade Delegation to Dubai to Promote Hong Kong in the Middle East and Forms Partnerships with Three Major Middle Eastern Tourism Corporates

The Middle Eastern market has great potential for Hong Kong tourism. In light of this, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has continued to promote Hong Kong in the region through various initiatives. HKTB led a delegation of about 30 travel trade representatives from Hong Kong to Dubai, where they actively participated in the region’s largest annual international travel fair, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), showcasing Hong Kong’s diverse tourism appeal to the travel trade and consumers in the Middle East and opening up business opportunities. HKTB also signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with major travel agents in the Middle East to step up promotion of Hong Kong’s unique tourism resources and experiences and attract Middle Eastern visitors to Hong Kong through innovative promotional strategies and exclusive travel products. 

Mr Dane Cheng, HKTB Executive Director, said, “The Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the UAR, Qatar, etc., have huge potential and are high-spending visitor source markets, which we aim to  serve more effectively. As flight capacity between Hong Kong and the GCC countries increases, HKTB will strive to attract Middle Eastern visitors to Hong Kong through various approaches to unlock this market and create partnership opportunities for the trade, while enhancing the quality of Hong Kong tourism. HKTB is grateful for the support of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the local travel trade in diversifying Hong Kong’s visitor sources and promoting Hong Kong as a world-class destination.” 

Launching the Hong Kong Pavilion at ATM 

Trade Partners in Hong Kong and Middle East jointly explore tourism partnerships 

HKTB led a delegation of 30 representatives from Hong Kong’s tourism trade, including hotels, travel agents, attractions and airlines to participate in Arabian Travel Market (ATM), a four-day (28 April – 1 May) large-scale international travel trade show in the Middle East, held annually in Dubai. The delegation engaged directly with trade partners in the Middle East, promoting Hong Kong’s tourism products and experiences, and jointly exploring future partnership and business opportunities.  

HKTB set up a Hong Kong Pavilion in ATM to showcase Hong Kong’s diverse tourism characteristics and cultural appeal, high-end tourism experiences and offerings, etc., to the travel trade in the Middle East. This helped deepen understanding of Hong Kong among the local travel trade and keep them abreast of Hong Kong’s market dynamics.  

HKTB forms partnerships with three major tourism corporates to jointly promote Hong Kong tourism 

During ATM, HKTB signed one MoU with musafir.com, an online travel agent in the UAE, and another with Almosafer International Travel and Tourism Company, a travel agent in Saudi Arabia. HKTB and the two travel agents will work closely together to bring visitors to Hong Kong from the Middle East through the introduction of packaged travel products and joint marketing campaigns. 

Witnessed by Ms Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR, Ms Becky Ip, HKTB Deputy Director signed MoUs with the representatives of musafir.com and Almosafer International Travel and Tourism Company respectively. As part of the partnership, musafir.com will launch tailor-made Hong Kong travel packages for travellers from the Middle East, including flights, hotel accommodation and specially curated itineraries. An Arabic version will also be available on musafir.com’s tourism platform to streamline the procedure of booking Hong Kong tourism products by Middle Eastern travellers. HKTB and Almosafer International Travel and Tourism Company will roll out joint marketing campaign in Saudi Arabia to promote Hong Kong tourism.  

HKTB signs Memoramda of Understanding with musafir.com (left) and Almosafer International Travel and Tourism

HKTB also established a strategic partnership with Wego, an online travel agent active in the Middle East. The partnership will leverage digital and joint marketing to produce shows on Hong Kong tourism and other channels to highlight the city’s culture, entertainment, high-end tourism and other diverse experiences. Wego will also provide visitors with itinerary receommendations, instant offers and other incentives to drum up interest in travelling to Hong Kong among travellers in the GCC Markets.  

In addition to collaborating with the travel trade in the Middle East, HKTB has been working with major media organisations in the region to showcase Hong Kong’s new tourism offerings and experiences. These initiatives include inviting KOLs from these markets to visit Hong Kong to introduce emerging hotspots, cultural and tourism highlights, and other experiences to jointly promote Hong Kong as an ideal travel destination for Middle Eastern consumers.

HKTB will continue to step up promotions in the Middle East to further elevate Hong Kong’s international reputation and actively participate in various international tourism promotions to deepen understanding of HongKong’s tourism appeal among overseas trade partners and consumers. HKTB will also continue to encourage the local trade to enhance Muslim-friendly facilities in Hong Kong, laying a solid foundation to expand the Middle East market for Hong Kong tourism.