Luxury travel show has HK in its sights
The producer and host of a world-famous luxury travel programme is proposing a series of one-hour specials on Asian countries, including one on Hong Kong. It is an effort to help attract wealthy tourists back to countries affected by Sars and the Iraqi war.
'I've decided to do my third season as a series of one-hour specials on Asia instead of going elsewhere,' said Varun Sharma, the host of The Luxury Travel Show.
'I've been to this region pre-war and pre-Sars and I've seen what damage has been done,' he said in Hong Kong yesterday.
Several countries - including Malaysia, Singapore and Qatar - have been in discussions with Sharma for the specials which would cost #67,500 (HK$871,000) to produce. Sharma will not charge a fee for himself.
'I thought this would be a good chance to give back to an industry that has given me so much,' he said.
The #67,500 would cover staff and production costs, as well as payment to distributors. Sharma intends to give the programmes away to his regular broadcasters. 'If I package these as specials, I won't be able to sell them because the format will be different from my show, but I have to put my name to it because I already have a ready viewer base,' he said.
The Luxury Travel Show is a half-hour series featuring first-class travel to destinations around the world. It airs in more than 75 countries including the US, Britain, Australia and some Middle East nations.
Sharma was in Hong Kong last August to shoot a Hong Kong segment which will be aired on TVB Pearl on August 14.
'Hong Kong built its reputation on fabulous hotels and wonderful restaurants. Luxury produces 20 per cent of the entire revenue of the travel industry; in Hong Kong it's much more than 20 per cent,' he said.
'I understand you have to bring back the tourists to Hong Kong but you really have to focus on who you want to bring back.
'Do you want to bring in football supporters or budget travellers? Or do you want to bring back the people who come here year after year, spending their money in nice hotels and adding to the wealth of Hong Kong?'
