Spotlight on Hong Kong - Edition 4
In your last update, you shared insights into your plans to support recovery from the Hong Kong market. Please update us on how this is tracking.
At the end of April, normality started to return to Hong Kong following the fifth wave of COVID-19. Currently, 87 per cent of the Hong Kong population is doubled vaccinated and sixty per cent have received a third dose.
From 1 May, international travellers were welcomed back to Hong Kong but, like residents, must quarantine in designated hotels for seven days upon arrival. Further easing of restrictions from July onwards will allow airlines to increase capacity with more direct services to Australia.
Tourism Australia has been promoting the Tune into Aus 8D footage on YouTube and social platforms in Hong Kong, achieving over 1.1 million impressions and 4.7 million views.
Our Facebook user-generated content campaign also delivered 303,000 impressions and 133,000 unique reaches within the two weeks in April. While a total of 948 engagements were generated.
How is consumer sentiment towards travel? Are there any booking trends emerging, relevant to Australia?
Since Australia welcomed back international travellers in February, Skyscanner has reported a steady monthly growth in searches to Australia - February 109,000, March 112,000, April 139,300 to May 152,100. Australia ranked fourth in the top ten searched destinations behind United Kingdom, China and Canada.
The weekly international forward bookings out of Hong Kong in mid-May, compared with 2020, reached its highest weekly record at 7,300 bookings. Australia ranked second, next to Singapore, in the top 30 destination bookings.
With Hong Kong residents now only required to quarantine for seven days upon return, there is increasing confidence in travel. Travel intention is also strong with an increase of eight per cent on the intended timing of next international trips to be taken within six to 12 months.
How did the Hong Kong trade and media respond to the announcement of Australia’s borders re-opening in February?
Hong Kong media are keen to visit Australia and two international media hosting trips were confirmed within a month after the announcement. In April, Open TV travel program hosted by KOL Benedict Yuen visited Tasmania, New South Wales, and Queensland. The second, with Flyday online travel media platform, a partnership with Tourism Western Australia, highlighting ‘Western Australia Adventure Awaits’ departed last month.
Key travel trade partners have refreshed Australian online tour packages and Working Holiday ‘Work and Play the Aussie Way’ packages are being promoted by Hong Kong Overseas Study Centre, Flyagainla and Travel Focus.
Hong Kong Overseas Study Centre © Tourism Australia
Flyagainla / Travel Focus package © Tourism Australia
What in-market events are you planning this year?
Twenty Hong Kong buyers attended the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) Online event which was run as a hybrid event in Hong Kong. Delegates participated in a one night ‘staycation’ at Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel, and were joined by State and Territory Tourism Organisations, key airlines, media and trade partners for a BBQ outdoor dinner under the ‘Sydney Harbour Bridge’. View the ATE22 Hong Kong event highlight video.
This week we are running the ‘Best Partner Program’ with Kuoni Tumlare which will include a virtual webinar event to engage with corporate clients highlighting Business Events experiences.
Festival Australia, a partnership with Austrade for the third consecutive year is in planning for later this year with the theme of ‘The Art of Aussie Food’.
There's nothing like Australia for your next Business Events © Tourism Australia
More information
We encourage our Australian industry partners to share the latest news and insights with the Hong Kong team. We also have a consumer focused Facebook page - HK TA Facebook - and a trade specific page - Aussie Specialist Program- TAHK – that we encourage trade to follow.
