HKTB promotes the ‘Great Outdoors’
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To the surprise of many, who consider Hong Kong a concrete jungle, approximately 40% of the city’s land area is country park, which offers ideal locations for hiking and an urban retreat. To showcase the city’s beautiful countryside, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) launched a brand new “Great Outdoors Hong Kong!” promotion today, bringing visitors to experience different sections of MacLehose Trail - Hong Kong’s longest hiking trail. Officiating at the launch ceremony at Pak Tam Chung, the trail’s starting point this morning were Mrs Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development; Mr James Tien, Chairman of HKTB; and Mr Alan Wong Chi-kong, Director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Mr James Tien said: “Hong Kong is much more than a bustling cosmopolitan city, offering stunning natural sceneries. In recent years, the HKTB has been strengthening our effort to promote our countryside, so as to broaden Hong Kong’s appeal. Riding on the hiking season that begins in October, we have launched the ‘Great Outdoors Hong Kong!’ to highlight our city’s hiking trails and nature attractions. To tie in with the Hong Kong Food and Wine Year, we are also promoting the local dining outlets and other attractions in the vicinity of the trail, so that visitors can enjoy the combined pleasures of hiking and dining.”
Every year, Oxfam Hong Kong organises the “Oxfam Trailwalker”, a world-class hiking event that draws local and international participation from hiking enthusiasts. To offer visitors the opportunity of tackling the Trailwalker course, the HKTB is organising hiking tours based on the route of the “Oxfam Trailwalker”. For five consecutive Saturdays starting from today, visitors can join these tours guided by hiking experts to explore different sections of the MacLehose Trail.
Mr Tien further said: “We have already rolled out promotions of the ‘Great Outdoors Hong Kong!’ to travel trade in various source markets, as well as to our media partners. To date, the promotion has successfully drawn visitors and travel trade from such markets as South Korea, Taiwan and Mainland China. Our local residents have also responded with great enthusiasm, with all guided tours for residents fully booked.”
Promoting Hong Kong’s natural ecology and landscape is part of the HKTB’s long-term strategies for marketing Hong Kong as a travel destination. The HKTB will continue to collaborate with the travel trade. Through such events as the “Great Outdoors Hong Kong!”, the HKTB will package Hong Kong’s natural landscape into attractive new tourism products for visitors.
Photo caption: Joined by other guests and over 300 local and international hiking enthusiasts, Mrs Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (middle), together with Mr James Tien, Chairman of HKTB (fourth left), and Mr Alan Wong Chi-kong, Director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (third right), officiated at the launch ceremony of “Great Outdoors Hong Kong!”.
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