HKTB taps over 100 global KOLs to promote HK's summer appeal

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has unveiled its latest summer campaign, "Hong Kong Summer Viva", collaborating with over 100 global KOLs to showcase its upcoming discounts and offerings to locals and visitors, done in partnership with local theme parks, transport operators, hotels, restaurants, and retailers.

The initiative reflects HKTB’s recent strategic shift from prioritising visitor numbers to attracting higher-value overnight tourists through targeted campaigns and partnerships.

At the heart of the campaign are eight key passenger privileges, including early-entry passes to Hong Kong Disneyland with postcard redemption, gift packages at Ocean Park Hong Kong, return tickets for The Peak Tram, and buy-one-get-one-free MTR Airport Express tickets. Other perks include Big Bus Tours access, a 43% discount on Hong Kong Water Taxi Victoria Harbour tours, and half-price tickets for Oriental Pearl Victoria Harbour tours.

Beyond these visitor incentives, hotels, attractions, and retail and dining outlets under the Quality Tourism Services (QTS) Scheme have offered more than 150 limited-time discounts for locals. The promotions went live on HKTB’s dedicated website on Monday (23 June), and remain accessible on a first-come, first-served basis.

To amplify Hong Kong’s appeal, HKTB has partnered with over 100 influencers from 13 international markets, collectively reaching more than 100 million followers, to showcase the city’s summer offerings. For Mainland markets, HKTB has collaborated with Tencent and around 100 key opinion leaders (KOLs), who will visit in July and August to promote Hong Kong’s family-friendly attractions, cultural experiences, dining, and nightlife.

Dane Cheng, HKTB executive director, said, “Following the positive response to our previous thematic promotions ‘Hong Kong Super March’ and ‘Cultural Beat’, HKTB is launching ‘Hong Kong Summer Viva’, a new thematic promotion during the peak summer travel season. We’ve started promotion in Mainland and overseas markets to attract visitors to experience Hong Kong’s vibrant summer appeal. HKTB thanks our participating trade partners for their exciting campaigns and offers, which will enhance Hong Kong’s tourism appeal this summer.”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to HKTB for more information.

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At a media briefing on 30 May, HKTB's newly appointed chairman, Peter Lam, outlined a strategic pivot from pursuing visitor volume to attracting higher-value overnight tourists. Lam, who took on his role in April, emphasised that the current average length of stay stands at 3.2 nights, with a clear objective to extend this duration by prioritising quality over quantity.

The shift came as Hong Kong's tourism sector shows signs of recovery. According to HKTB data, the city welcomed 12.2 million visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 9% YoY increase.

This growth was driven by stronger performance across both mainland and international markets. Mainland Chinese visitors accounted for 9.25 million arrivals, up 6% compared to the same period last year, while non-mainland arrivals reached 2.98 million, marking an 18% surge.

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