Love is in the air: Consumers have been rushing to claim cheap travel vouchers being offered in the We Love HK campaign created by the newly formed Tourism Coalition of Hong Kong. According to Cathay Pacific, 200 of its 2,000 return tickets to Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul and Denpasar, costing $1,000, have already been snapped up. 'Award Merchants' feature 13 international airlines offering myriad deals, such as 300 return tickets to London for $2,500 on Virgin Atlantic; unlimited tickets to London for $2,500 on British Airways; unlimited tickets to Phuket for $1,000 on Dragonair; 200 tickets to Bangkok for $900 on Finnair; and 1,000 tickets to mainland destinations on Air China for $799 and $999. Details of all the airline deals can be found at www.bar.org.hk . Meanwhile, Star Cruises has discounts of up to 50 per cent on certain packages, including day cruises and weekend trips. To qualify for these you need to spend at least $1,000 at 'Participating Merchants' - which include 80 local hotels, 1,300 travel agents, 38 restaurants, 30 retailers and all taxis - before the end of May (a maximum of $300 out of the $1,000 must be retail spend), then bring your receipts to the respective Award Merchant redemption counters. Participants include Ocean Park, which is offering 50 per cent off entry fees to mothers accompanying their children; Esprit, which will give a 90 per cent discount on any second item purchased; and TGI Friday, which is offering a 30 per cent discount on all bills (excluding set menus). Any shop or business can join the campaign: all they need to do is announce their offer, then display the We Love HK campaign logo, which can be downloaded from www.welovehongkong.com . For more information, visit the site, or call the free inquiry hotline at 183 6138 (9am to 5pm). Local luxury: Until June 30, the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong is offering a discounted Weekend Getaway Package at $1,388 a night. Available on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays to local residents only, the price includes a welcome fruit juice and gift upon arrival; an upgrade to a Deluxe Harbour View room; daily champagne breakfast for two or traditional afternoon high tea/Asian tea for two and a choice of either a Chinese Herbal Bath (prepared with ho leaf, cedar wood and oil of ginger and served with Chinese petit fours and jasmine tea) or a Just Like Home bath (bubbles and magazines, accompanied by milk and cookies). For information, call 2877 6666 ( www.ritz-carlton.com ). Cruise news: Silversea, ranked the world's best small ship cruise line last year for the fourth time by Travel + Leisure magazine, for seven consecutive years by Conde Nast Traveler (US) and for the fourth consecutive year by Conde Nast Traveller (UK), has offers of between 55 and 60 per cent off its usual rates. Discounts are available on voyages between Athens and Monte Carlo (May 3-Jun 8); Monte Carlo and London (Jun 23-Jul 5; Sep 4-16); London and Monte Carlo (Jul 26-Aug 7; Sep 16-28); and Bordeaux and Dublin (Aug 24-Sep 1). For example, prices for its 12-day voyage between London and Monte Carlo (docking in St Malo, Lisbon, Cadiz, Malaga, Barcelona and Marseille), start at $27,596 a person down from $65,481, based on double occupancy. Silversea claims it offers the world's only truly all-inclusive fare, in which normal extras such as gratuities, port charges and handling fees (around $2,340); and alcoholic drinks (including champagne) are included in the ticket price. Call Kitty Lee at The Travel Advisers on 2312 7138 or visit www.silversea.com.hk for more details. Airport art: Here's a great way to while away those wasted hours at the airport. Next time you're transiting through Schiphol in Amsterdam, check out its art gallery on 'Holland Boulevard' (beyond passport control, the connecting corridor between E and F pier). Opened late last year, the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol is an annexe of the city's famous museum, displaying works by Rembrandt, Jacob van Ruisdael, and Jan Steen. New exhibition The Dutch Encounter With Asia will be on show until August. It features six works from the successful exhibition of the same name held recently at the main Rijks museum. The airport museum is open daily 7am-8pm, with free entry to all passengers departing, arriving or changing aircraft at Schiphol. In the four months since it opened, more than 50,000 passengers have visited the museum to view masterpieces from the Golden Age ( www.schiphol.com ).
