Hong Kong launches Equestrian Promotions in New Zealand

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has kicked off a series of activities in Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, promoting Hong Kong’s hosting of equestrian events during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Mr Anthony Lau, Executive Director of the HKTB said that this was HKTB’s first overseas initiative in promoting Hong Kong’s hosting of the equestrian events during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“The HKTB will leverage on the opportunity to promote Hong Kong as the co-host city of the 2008 Olympics and the equestrian events, so as to enhance the city’s exposure worldwide. We will also work closely with travel trade partners in offering related packages or products, to ensure that Hong Kong will be included in the tour itineraries to Mainland China and Asia,” Mr Lau said.

To attract equestrian enthusiasts from New Zealand, the HKTB will join China Travel Service in offering equestrian-themed tour packages. Riding on the pre and post-Olympics momentum, the HKTB will work with trade partners in marketing combo-itineraries comprising Hong Kong, Beijing and other Mainland cities. The Board is also setting up a website on Olympic equestrian events, offering latest information about the events and related travel packages to Hong Kong.

The HKTB will also launch a series of advertising programmes to promote Hong Kong as one of the Olympic co-host cities, thereby enhancing the city’s exposure and image worldwide. Among its promotional activities in New Zealand, HKTB will join forces with the Equestrian Sports New Zealand in marketing Hong Kong’s equestrian events and the city’s sight-seeing, dining, shopping and entertainment attractions.

Equestrian sport is very popular in New Zealand. Over the years, the country’s equestrian team has garnered a number of Olympic medals in the events.

Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong from New Zealand have recorded an average annual double-digit growth in the past five years. In the first seven months of 2007, total arrivals from the country reached 65,605, representing an increase of 21% over the same period in 2006.

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