As direct flights between Hong Kong and Kazakhstan begin in the first quarter of next year, the city's tourism sector is eyeing opportunities to develop educational tours in Central Asia.
According to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's announcement during his ongoing Central Asia delegation, Cathay Pacific will launch direct flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan, with three flights a week.
Speaking on a radio program on Thursday, lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung described the new direct flight as the vital key in opening the door to air corridor for the Belt and Road initiative.
"Without direct flights, travelers have to make inconvenient transfers via mainland cities such as Guangzhou or Beijing," explained Yiu, adding that the new route is expected to shorten travel time to seven hours.
Following the launch of the direct flights, he expressed confidence that it could strengthen Hong Kong's status as an international aviation hub, as well as the development of tourism and trade.
He believed the three flights per week to be a reasonable starting point, considering the two regions' current passenger and cargo demand.
Highlighting well-developed hotel facilities and vast cultural, religious and natural resources in the country, Yiu said the area has potential to develop study exchanges.
He cited Almaty as an example, where its infrastructure and rich tourism resources offer study tours likely to appeal to Hong Kong travelers seeking new destinations.
He further suggested the authorities extend the current visa-free period, as he expected the tours to last about 10 days, with multi-country itineraries extending to 21 days.
Meanwhile, Yiu pointed to an eastward trend for Kazakhstan travelers in recent years, noting Hong Kong can also utilize its waterfront environment to draw tourists with high spending power.
To attract talent and open more markets to Central Asia, he called for more initiative to attract Kazakh students to study in Hong Kong, supporting the city's long-term trade and economic expansion into the region.
