WinterFest runs through early January

Learn more about Hong Kong WinterFest at the event's web site.

To capitalize on the golden opportunities of the Christmas and New Year promotion window, the HKTB has increased its marketing resources for strengthening promotions in mainland China and other short-haul markets, so as to encourage visitors to come celebrate the festive season in Hong Kong.

Locally, the HKTB has joined hands with different sectors to promote the many new celebratory programs and citywide participation, making Hong Kong the most festive and high-spirited travel destination in Asia during the winter season.

HKTB Chairman James Tien said that the HKTB has stepped up its winter promotions in various source markets this year.

This winter, Hong Kong buzzes with a plethora of exciting and fun activities. Aside from organizing the internationally famous New Year Countdown Celebrations, the HKTB is working with different sectors to enhance the festive ambience citywide.

At the invitation of the HKTB, several buildings and shopping centers on both sides of Victoria Harbour and in key tourist districts will enhance their Christmas lights and display with the “Hong Kong Welcomes You” message. The newly opened 1881 Heritage, which was converted from the former Hong Kong Marine Police headquarters, will also put up large-scale Christmas decorations and present special performances to tie in with Hong Kong WinterFest.

The HKTB will bundle the festive lighting and colorful displays in various districts, including the dazzling decorations at Harbour City and Tsim Sha Tsui East, as well as the celebrations across different parts of Hong Kong, and promote them to visitors, making the city the most festive and high-spirited travel destination in Asia this winter season. The HKTB is also mobilizing the travel trade, food districts and shopping malls to introduce a tempting range of offers and special packages.

The HKTB will publish its first-ever Hong Kong Winter Delicacies Guide, highlighting to visitors the many specialties of Hong Kong during the winter season, such as rice in clay pot and hot pot recommended by celebrities and food critics from around the region.

The HKTB is encouraging local residents to share with visitors worldwide the stunning display of Christmas lights in Hong Kong. For the first time, the HKTB has launched a photo competition “Top 10 Vantage Points for Viewing Hong Kong Christmas Lighting.” The HKTB hopes that the recommendations on the best vantage points by residents will become “must-visit” attractions of visitors, and they can enjoy a picturesque Christmas and New Year filled with great fun, entertainment and wonderful shopping and dining experiences.

Visitor arrivals up 9% in October

Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong reached 2,761,945 in October 2009, 9% more than in October 2008, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Cumulatively, arrivals for the 10-month period from January to October totalled 23,921,918, with the year-to-date shortfall narrowed to -1.6%.

The table below summarizes arrivals from different market regions:

* Total figure includes arrivals from Macau SAR

Substantial growth of 22.8% was recorded for arrivals from mainland China in October, especially during the extended National Day Golden Week holiday period, causing overall arrivals to increase by 9.0% year-on-year.

Arrivals from South and Southeast Asia dipped by a moderate 5.8% in October compared to the same month in 2008, as visitor traffic of Indonesia and Malaysia slowed after the Eid al-Fitr holidays last month. Arrivals from North Asia and Taiwan also were down 21.2% and 11.4% respectively, as the former was continuously affected by the decrease in outbound travel in South Korea, and the latter by cross-strait direct links.

The mild decrease in arrivals from long-haul regions, which averaged –2.5%, confirmed that the decline in visitor traffic has slowed. The shortfall was a significant improvement over the almost 18% drop in March 2009, when the impact of the economic downturn was deeply felt. Both the Americas, as well as Europe, Africa and the Middle East, registered mild decreases of –2.2% and –0.2% respectively.

Cumulative arrivals for the 10-month period from January to October 2009 now stand at 1.6% down compared with the same period in 2008, a continued improvement on the –3.4% decline in June 2009 and –2.8% in September 2009. While mainland China came to the fore with cumulative growth of 4.9%, the shortfall in other market regions has further narrowed. All the long-haul regions are now down to single-digit decline. As for the short-haul regions, South and Southeast Asia recorded moderate contraction of –3.5%.

Overall, some 56.4% of all visitors to Hong Kong in October stayed in the city for at least one night, 2.2 percentage points lower than in the same month last year. The remaining 43.6% same-day in-town visitors either returned home or left for another destination on the same day they arrived.

Hotel occupancy across all categories of hotels in October 2009 was 84%, just one percentage point lower than in October 2008. The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories was US$146.66 or 20% lower than in October 2008.

Geopark Visitor Centre opens

The Geopark Visitor Centre introduces the geological history of Hong Kong.

The public can now visit the newly opened Geopark Visitor Centre in the Lions Nature Education Centre in Tsiu Hang, Sai Kung, to gain a better understanding of the geological history of Hong Kong.

The 160-square-meter visitor center set up by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) aims to give the public an overview of the geological environment in Hong Kong, promote greater interest in earth sciences and raise the awareness of the need to preserve our geological heritage.

Through display boards and rock specimens from different parts of the territory, visitors can learn about the geological history of Hong Kong, fold and fault structures, landscapes, rocks and fossils. A video introduces the geological attractions of the Hong Kong National Geopark. Animations showing the formation process of different landforms and interactive computer games are also provided in the center.

The Geopark Visitor Centre opens daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except Tuesdays.
With the support of local communities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Tai Po Geo-heritage Centre and Lai Chi Wo Geo-heritage Centre were opened in February and December respectively.  These centers aim to introduce the geological resources in Hong Kong to visitors and also promote public awareness of geoconservation. Guided tours are also provided.

The Hong Kong National Geopark covers two regions with eight geo-areas, each with its unique geological features. The Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region highlights the spectacular hexagonal acidic volcanic rock columns while the Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region represents the most comprehensive stratigraphy of sedimentary rocks in Hong Kong, ranging from Devonian sandstone and conglomerate of about 400 million years of age to Tertiary siltstone of 65 million years old, and is rich in landforms of different earth processes.

More information on the visitor center and the geopark can be found on the Web site [www.geopark.gov.hk].