Tourism chiefs hope to lure more winter visitors
Tourism chiefs are trying to bring in more short-haul visitors during the winter months, amid fears of a large-scale bird flu outbreak in the spring.
Banking on the quick response of the short-haul market, the Hong Kong Tourism Board is promoting attractions including the WinterFest, shopping festivals and theme parks.
'The short-haul market is quick to respond, compared to the long-haul market,' board executive director Clara Chong Ming-wah said yesterday.
She said contingency plans were also being prepared to cope with a flu outbreak but she refused to speculate on the disease's possible impact on tourist figures.
'We are confident we will meet our target of 23 million visitors this year, and we are sticking to the target of 27 million for 2006,' she said.
'Bird flu is hard to predict - you can't even tell what will happen tomorrow.'
Ms Chong revealed new projects to be carried out under the Discover Hong Kong 2006 campaign, launched in May at a cost of $270 million.
Cultural and heritage celebrations - such as the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, Tin Hau Festival and Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival - will be promoted, particularly to long-haul visitors from Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States.
