Internet influencers, celebrities among 2,000 invited to Hong Kong in tourism drive in 2023, sparking questions on cost to taxpayers
- Tourism Board invited industry professionals, celebrities and internet influencers to produce over 330 short videos documenting their travel experience in Hong Kong
- Lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan says she will continue to request breakdown of funding as government has not revealed how much it spent on campaign
In a written response to lawmakers’ questions on Wednesday, the government said the Tourism Board had invited industry professionals, celebrities and internet influencers, or so-called key opinion leaders (KOLs), to produce more than 330 short videos documenting their travel experience in Hong Kong.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said the videos were aired on over 3,000 different platforms worldwide, reaching more than 200 million viewers.
More than 2,000 people were invited to the city and given personalised themed travel itineraries to “showcase the diverse tourism characteristics of Hong Kong” and encouraged to tell “good stories of the city through their first-hand experiences”.
They included Crazy Rich Asians actor Henry Golding, Japanese star Takeru Satoh and South Korean actor Jung Hae-in.
The board would continue to promote the city through themed campaigns, especially for mega events, in the coming year, the bureau said.