HKTB in talks with payment firms to share data for enhanced tourism experience

Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has initiated talks with various payment platforms regarding the sharing of tourism-related data with the government for analysis, said Hong Kong’s tourism chief Rosanna Law. 

This comes as some lawmakers express concern about how the government can effectively use technology to promote the tourism industry, including whether it will require travel intermediary platforms to share certain data for analysis purposes.

In response to legislator Chan Pui Leung, Law said HKTB has begun discussions with various payment platforms to explore collaboration opportunities. This effort is part of the government’s “Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0” (旅遊發展藍圖2.0) which aims to enhance data and market analysis by partnering with payment platforms, service providers and travel websites to collect and integrate more tourism-related data, thereby supporting the industry in designing products that better meet travellers' needs. 

HKTB also upgraded the functionality and content of the Hong Kong tourism network in March to help the industry fully grasp tourism-related data and prepare strategic deployments in advance, Law added. 

Meanwhile, in a written response to legislator Ma Fung Kwok who asked about the considerations of enhancing the Immigration Department’s (ImmD) systems to obtain more traveller information for analytical purposes, the plans for using AR and VR at tourist attractions, and whether the government will create a comprehensive mobile travel app, Law said the visitor statistics collected and maintained by the ImmD during daily immigration control operations are also provided to relevant Government departments and organisations in support of their statistical and research work. 

In response to legislator Ma Fung Kwok's inquiries about enhancing the Immigration Department’s (ImmD) systems for traveller data, plans for using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) at tourist attractions, and the creation of a comprehensive mobile travel app, Law said visitor statistics collected by the ImmD are shared with relevant government departments for statistical and research purposes.

In terms of AR and VR usage, Law said the government is promoting technology in tourist attractions to enhance facilities and information transmission for a richer visitor experience. Many major attractions in Hong Kong have already adopted AR, VR, artificial intelligence (AI), interactive experiences, and QR codes to facilitate and enrich visitors' experiences.

“For example, Hong Kong Ocean Park has launched a new giant panda-themed attraction ‘Panda wonders: An illuminated journey’, where giant pandas make appearances as cartoon characters through 3D projection technology and visitors may interact and take photos with AR giant pandas,” she said.

Don't miss: HKTB to enhance visitor experience with AI-powered tourism map

Back in May, HKTB announced it would introduce a digital tourism map next year that will provide real-time, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered trip planning and queue updates for popular attractions. The upcoming digital map aims to help distribute visitor flow by guiding tourists to attractions at different times. While the map is currently in development, it is expected to launch next year.

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