Cheap holidays on offer in tourism race

Overseas tourism organizations are going all out to attract Hong Kong travelers with bargain tour packages and lucky draws as the International Travel Expo kicked off at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in Wan Chai yesterday, with around 500 exhibitors from over 60 countries and regions.

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The theme of the expo is "Rediscover the World," and that shows in the exhibitors, who came in from Europe, America, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa.

The first two days of the four-day expo are limited to trade representatives, but the public can visit tomorrow and on Sunday with an admission fee of HK$25.

The organizer, TKS Exhibition Services, expects more than 70,000 visitors, a 20 percent increase from last year.

There are 21 first-time participating countries and regions, nearly half of which are outside Asia, including the United States and Syria.

The expo offers guidebooks, landmark promotions, seminars and interactive games. Tours of four to 10 days are on offer to destinations in Kazakhstan, Germany, Ethiopia and Pakistan for between HK$2,733 and HK$5,857 per person.

"The tours are mainly for tourists to see natural wonders," said the director of one company, identified only as Sultan.

For a representative of Asian Gateways Pakistan, which offers tours to the south Asian country, "we target the young generation who are interested in Buddhism and Islamic culture."

The expo also brings in tourism representatives from popular destinations like Japan and South Korea.

"This is our first time promoting in Hong Kong. We hope to let more people know more about our company through the event," said Johnny Lau, a spokesman for Japanese shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines.

His company offers one-way cruises from Tokyo to Sapporo, with basic fares ranging from HK$490 to HK$990.

Some agencies said they believed that in-depth tours or guidebooks to mainland places like Xinjiang would be of more interest as Hongkongers usually go on day trips when they cross the border.

Some exhibitors are also holding lucky draws, with one, Korea Tourism Organization, giving away two free round-trip flight tickets to Seoul as the top prize.

When asked about the post-pandemic recovery pace of tourism in their countries, many exhibitors said they are getting more visitors, while some places, like Sabah in Malaysia, are seeing a rebound to only half of pre-pandemic levels.

With most exhibitors promoting natural wonders in their countries, they suggest Hong Kong should promote its flora and fauna to lure more visitors from overseas.