Earlier this month, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Education Bureau co-hosted the Hong Kong Tourism Industry Student Summit for the fourth consecutive year.
Themed “Tourism is Everywhere: Showcasing the Uniqueness and Charm of Hong Kong,” the event brought together industry professionals to share practical insights with nearly 2,000 students in Tourism and Hospitality Studies, inspiring the next generation to enter the industry.
Kaifong Tour, a social enterprise established ten years ago, is dedicated to training residents as guides, designing tourist routes from a local context. They have served more than 120,000 visitors in over 3,000 tours.
Co-founder Luke Tam noted that to present insightful, humanistic and seamless community tours, it is essential to utilize neighborhood oral history, mastery of community maps and thorough research.
He recalled an experience organizing a guided tour in Cheung Sha Wan, where he invited his mother to facilitate communications with locals. He also visited an old soy product factory three times before finally convincing the owner to share his story, who was surprised that no one had ever shown interest before.
Tam lamented that many cultural scenes in Hong Kong are disappearing, urging students to cherish and record the scenery around them. He added that a community comprises youth, the elderly, women, ethnic minorities, and the homeless, and that different citizens can leverage their local identities to become travel ambassadors. He encouraged students to connect with their surrounding neighborhoods to promote the development of community tourism.
In addition to “tourism is everywhere,” thoughtful trip design can realise “travel anytime.” Eddy Yip, Product and Marketing Director for Hong Kong and Taiwan and Territory Manager Hong Kong at Trip.com, noted that the layover tours launched in cooperation with the Airport Authority have received enthusiastic responses.
Tailored for transit passengers coming to Hong Kong with layovers of seven hours or more, the initiative currently offers three tours daily during peak transit periods.
Each tour includes visits to landmark attractions such as Wong Tai Sin Temple, West Kowloon Cultural District and Ma Wan Park, as well as unique local experiences like browsing fish stalls in wet markets. It aims to allow tourists to get a taste of the city’s charm in just a few hours and encourages them to consider returning for a full trip.
Anthony Lau, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said that tourism is a crucial economic pillar of the city. He hoped the summit would deepen students’ understanding of the global promotion efforts by the board and industry partners, and encourage them to apply their learning. “Let’s brainstorm together to promote Hong Kong tourism, harnessing the power of everyone as travel ambassadors,” he added.
HKTB’s Digital Marketing Director Anson Hung noted that the board utilizes the features and user trends of different social media platforms to introduce various promotional content. For instance, to cater to the mainland market, it collaborates with Douyin to produce romantic short dramas and invites popular influencers such as “Chicken Chop Brother” to Hong Kong to promote the Lunar New Year tourism.
After the first day of the summit, participating students will be grouped to design tourism products for designated areas, with outcome sharing and an awards ceremony held on the second day of the event (May 15).
A new inter-school photo contest was added this year to encourage students to explore local tourism resources from their youthful perspectives. More than a thousand students have registered to participate.
Education Bureau’s Principal Assistant Secretary (Curriculum Development) Yvonne Lam Si-hang noted that both the number of schools offering Tourism and Hospitality Studies and the number of students enrolled have increased over the past decade.
The government is actively working to nurture future tourism talents in line with the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0. She encouraged students to seize opportunities, equip themselves, and contribute to the industry’s development.
Participating students in the Hong Kong Tourism Industry Student Summit noted that the event provided valuable knowledge, fostering their desire to enhance their skills for future careers in tourism, while teachers found it beneficial for curriculum design.
This year, the summit attracted nearly 2,000 students in Tourism and Hospitality Studies, both on-site and online, from over 60 schools, accounting for about 30 percent of all schools offering this program in Hong Kong.
Pooi To Middle School launched the subject for the first time this academic year and also joined the summit for the first time. Chan, the school’s teacher, said that the summit is an annual highlight for the subject, providing teachers and students with valuable insights.
She was impressed by the layover tours organized by the guest speaker, noting that she could draw on this idea to design future assignments for students, such as planning seven-to-eight-hour tours or short trips around the school.
A Secondary 4 student from this school, surnamed Ho, noted that speakers shared insights not covered in class, and was impressed by the tourism industry data mentioned. For instance, while she only learnt in class about attracting high-value-added visitors, the summit shed light on the growing Muslim population as an important customer group. She was also surprised to learn that her often-overlooked community could serve as a tourist attraction, adding that she is considering a future in the tourism industry and will work hard to improve her abilities.
Meanwhile, St. Paul’s School (Lam Tin) has participated in the summit for three years. Chan and Fung, both Secondary 4 students, said the event brought them new insights. Ng, the teacher, noted that the number of students choosing this elective subject has been steadily increasing in recent years.
He added that the summit helps students better understand the industry and communicate with professionals from the tourism and education sectors. In particular, many issues and trends in the industry evolve rapidly, and the summit provides an ideal platform for mutual communication.
He also said that the new photo contest encourages students to explore and discover localized resources.
