A strong tourism performance in 2017 has set Hong Kong up for an exciting 2018. The Year of the Earth Dog will include new attractions from Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park, enhanced synergy within the Pearl River Delta, and new hotels, including the highly anticipated designer property, The Murray, in the heart of the CBD.
Finishing on a strong note
Celebrations are in order in Hong Kong, with stellar statistics indicating November’s all-time record-breaking absolute occupancy level, an average daily rate increase of 5.6% to HK$1,603.28 (US$275.38), the first for a November since 2011, and revenue per available room 7.1% at HK$1,511.50.
Demand is up 4.5%, and supply up 3.1%. The numbers make for sweet reading, and analyst STR points to strong inbound tourism and a cluster of MICE events for the surge in visitor numbers.
New hotels
As the new year gathers pace, the slickly repurposed building that will be The Murray, a Niccolo Hotel, is already turning heads. The historic building’s soaring arches lead the eye to its unusual design, which has undergone an urban chic facelift thanks to Foster + Partners.
Inside, 336 rooms and suites over 25 floors share space with restaurants, meetings and events spaces, both indoors and out, and a rooftop bar. The hotel has partnered up with Art Basel Hong Kong 2018, promising a colourful first year.
The 495-room Marriott Ocean Park will open in June 2018, while this year The Fleming delivered a highly anticipated re-launch, combining designer rooms and stylish restaurant Osteria Marzia
in Wanchai.
A solid plan for attractions
Hong Kong Tourism Board’s (HKTB) award-winning “Best Of All, It’s In Hong Kong” campaign focused on neighbourhood experiences and the recent Michelin Guide emphasised this with its inclusion of congee, wanton noodles and clay pot rice eateries in its 2018 edition.
HKTB’s Hong Kong’s Great Outdoors campaign was also a success as local photographers highlighted the city’s natural beauty with world-class images depicting a different side to the SAR’s urban high-rise.
Major Hong Kong attraction Disneyland had a strong year with the launch of the Iron Man Experience, the Disney Explorers Lodge (boosting room inventory by 75% to 1,750), and the Marvel Super Hero Summer. Fiscal year statistics recorded the second highest number of international guests, including double-digit growth attendance from South Korea and the Philippines.
Starting in 2018, a six-year plan for additional attractions and experiences will include the Moana-themed venue in Adventureland, summer’s The Incredibles experiences, Ant-Man and The Wasp, and a transformed castle with new daytime show and night spectaculars. New pricing saw ticket fees rising in February.
Meanwhile, on Hong Kong Island, Ocean Park will be celebrating the launch of its Water World project, with capacity for more than 10,000 visitors a day.
HKTB’s calendar of events for Hong Kong includes the annual Chinese New Year Festival celebrating the Year of the Earth Dog on February 16, Hong Kong Arts Month and Art Basel in March, Hong Kong Rugby Sevens in April, Dragon Boat Carnival in June, and the Wine and Dine Festival in October.
Cruising sees a breakthrough
Dream Cruises’ recently launched World Dream will be homeporting both in Hong Kong and Nansha for its itineraries to Philippines and Vietnam.
A record-breaking year for Hong Kong Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in 2017 saw four ships embarked on one day in March, the millionth revenue passenger passed through on June 27. A new throughput record was achieved on November 6.
Managing director Worldwide Cruise Terminals Jeff Bent predicts 300,000 Hong Kongers will have cruised out of Hong Kong by year-end, thanks to greater deployments and awareness.
“In addition to Okinawa, Taiwan, and Vietnam itineraries, Philippine itineraries will grow in popularity after the government implemented visa on arrival for mainland Chinese cruise visitors,” Bent predicts.
Infrastructure to drive tourism
To synergise with the upcoming Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area Travel Trade Cooperation Agreement was held at the end of 2017 to drive tourism development in the region, specifically focusing on developing tourism resources and multi-destination products and promotions.
Upcoming aviation routes
Cathay Pacific’s plans for new routes in 2018 include direct flights to European cities Brussels, Copenhagen and Dublin, with passengers already taking advantage of late 2017’s direct flights to Washington, making them the longest and fastest route to the US capital.
And HK Express looks forward to 2018 and its A320neo aircraft featuring lower emissions, fuel burn and engine decibels, combined with higher seat density, for reduced costs.