Hong Kong travel agencies target National Games windfall amid tourism upsurge
Firms aiming to capitalise by courting mainland Chinese visitors with tours to attend sporting events and other activities in the city
Hong Kong travel agencies are capitalising on the National Games by offering package tours for mainland Chinese visitors to attend sporting events in the city this month, with golf and rugby proving most popular.
Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said tour groups organised by his company were generally smaller in scale, with mainland visitors representing a “more mature” travel demographic with greater spending power.
This year marks the first time Hong Kong will host the National Games in a tripartite arrangement alongside Guangdong and Macau.
Local authorities expect the event to bring around 100,000 visitors to the city.
Fencing, track cycling, rugby sevens, golf, triathlon, beach volleyball, men’s handball and the under-22 men’s basketball tournament will all take place in Hong Kong.
Chui said some agencies, including his own, were making use of the Games by launching package tours that would allow visitors to attend sporting events and take part in other activities in the city.