Sharing data with govt? Talks with payment firms underway: Tourism chief

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has begun discussions with various payment platforms about sharing tourism-related data with the government for analysis, according to Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui.

The initiative is part of the Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0, which aims to enhance data and market analysis by collaborating with payment platforms, service providers, and travel websites. 

Speaking to lawmakers on Wednesday, Law said the HKTB has already engaged in preliminary talks with payment platforms to explore potential partnerships.

She added that HKTB has upgraded its Partner Net platform in March and is developing a Live Travel Map and a Smart Itinerary Planner on its Discover Hong Kong platform.

These tools will provide real-time travel information across different districts and offer personalized itinerary recommendations for visitors.

Law also said many major attractions in Hong Kong have already adopted augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI).

For example, Ocean Park recently launched Panda Wonders: An Illuminated Journey, a new attraction featuring 3D projections and AR interactions with giant pandas.

Additionally, the Tourism Commission’s City in Time project uses AR and creative media to recreate historical landmarks through a mobile app. 

The first phase, launched in 2021, covered 28 locations in Central, Jordan, The Peak, Sham Shui Po, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Yau Ma Tei.

The second phase, rolled out in 2024, has expanded to Lei Yue Mun and Tai Hang, with plans to extend to Kowloon City later this year. 

As of April 2025, the project’s website had over 152,000 visits, and the app had been downloaded more than 31,000 times.

Lawmaker Ma Fung-kwok urged the government to strengthen the Immigration Department’s data collection amid the current lack of detailed visitor data, such as travel patterns, length of stay, and mainland tourists’ provinces of origin. 

Law responded that while the department primarily handles immigration control, it regularly shares entry and exit records with relevant agencies for research purposes.

Ma also questioned whether Hong Kong would introduce more dynamic AR and VR technologies at historical sites, particularly those related to wartime heritage, to attract younger visitors.

Law said the authorities are exploring such enhancements, including collaborations with museums in Beijing and Guangdong for exhibitions marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance.

(Ayra Wang)