MARKET OVERVIEW Hong Kong Country Fast Facts Population 7.061 million as at Mid 2010 Population of Major Markets Language Religion Annual Leave Entitlement Currency Exchange Rate to AUD As above Spoken Cantonese (main dialect) and Mandarin. English is widely used in the business environment Written Traditional Chinese and English Mainly Buddhism and Christianity 7 days minimum, usually 10 15 days for white collars Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) 1:7.5075 (as at 1 Oct 2010 oanda.com) GDP Per Capita HKD233,060 or USD30,064 (2009) Economic Growth GDP 5% to 6% (y-o-y forecast for 2010 as of Aug 2010) Inflation 2.3% (for 2010) Source: Census and Statistics Department (http://www.censtatd.gov.hk) 1
ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL OVERVIEW Economic Outlook According to the Half-yearly Economic Report 2010 released by the Hong Kong Government in Aug 2010, the global economy remained on track to recovery in Q2 2010 with Mainland China taking the lead and many other Asian economies growing robustly. Benefiting from the robust growth in the Asian region, the Hong Kong economy continued to show a broad-based recovery in the second quarter of 2010. Real GDP grew by a further 6.5% in Q2 over the previous year, after a growth of 8.0% in Q1, the second quarter of above average growth. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, real GDP expanded by 1.4%. However, the outlook for the external environment has turned more uncertain as the sovereign debt problem in Europe, posed downside risks to the global recovery. Recent indications also suggest that the growth momentum in the United States has weakened. Given these developments, it is likely that Hong Kong s year-on-year export growth may experience some deceleration in the second half of 2010. Nevertheless, local consumer sentiment remains firm. Surveys indicate that large enterprises are still positive about the economic outlook and are willing to hire new staff. Given the actual 7.2% robust GDP growth in the first half of 2010, and even allowing for some possible deceleration in year-on-year growth in the second half of the year, there is still an upside to the annual GDP growth forecast. The Government revised the GDP growth forecast upwards to 5-6%, from the forecast of 4-5% growth in May. Inflationary pressure climbed moderately in Q2 amid the sustained economic revival and higher import prices. Underlying consumer price inflation went up to 1.5% in Q2 from 0.8% in Q1, and may edge up further in the coming months. Nevertheless, the sustained productivity growth in the economy should provide a useful offset to the domestic cost pressures. With the developments on the price front so far in line with expectations, the Government maintained the forecast rate of underlying consumer price inflation in 2010 at 1.5% and the headline consumer price inflation also remained unchanged at 2.3%. Forecast of key major Hong Kong economic indicators: 2
As the Hong Kong market is very price sensitive, outbound travel can be affected by the performance of the stock market and exchange rate. The impact can often be direct and instant. The stock market has remained relatively stagnant for the past six months however it has started to climb slowly since Oct 2009. This is a positive sign as it offers the long waited opportunities for people to sell off their stocks and the sudden increase in disposable income can encourage people to travel. Looking ahead, movement of the stock market will only be relatively small with minimal profit gains for consumers, thus the benefit may only be in the cheaper short haul travel market. An analysis of exchange rates can provide indications of the potential of the outbound market in Hong Kong. The relationship between exchange rates and travel was evident in mid 2010 when the sovereign debt problems in Europe pushed the Euro down there was growth in arrivals traffic from Hong Kong. Similarly the recent strength of the yen deterred people from travelling to Japan. With the Australian Dollar (AUD) recently appreciating to pre-financial crisis highs (1AUD : 7.5HKD), there could be a decline in arrivals to Australia as people delay or change travel plans. Consumer Confidence According to the Half-yearly Economic Report 2010 released by the Government in Aug 2010, private consumption expenditure rose by 4.6% year-on-year in real terms. This is mainly due to a general improvement in the overall economic situation and incomes. Local consumer sentiment remained firm and business sentiment also indicated a positive outlook. The Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Study released in Aug 2010 is also in line with the Government s figures. The Consumer Confidence Index in Q2 2010 climbed to the highest since Q3 2008. The growing momentum resulted from the positive outlook on job prospects and personal finances in addition to the stable stock market and increasing tourism numbers. The MasterCard Worldwide Index of Consumer Confidence H1 2010 further pointed out that consumer confidence in Hong Kong is in the highest since H1 2009 and is higher than the Asia Pacific average. Overall, approximately 90% of people expect to save more/same in the next 6 months. Respondents under 30 years old, singles and those who belong to the top 20% of income earners show higher inclination towards increased levels of savings. The survey indicated that the top three saving priorities for Hong Kong people are (i) investments, (ii) retirement and (iii) travel. As for spending intention, a majority of Hong Kong people intend to have the same level of discretionary spending in the next 6 months. Significantly more Hong Kong people also intend to increase their spending as compared to the rest of Asia Pacific, especially among those below 30 years old, singles and top the 20% of income earners. The top 3 purchasing priorities in the next 6 months are: (i) dining / entertainment, (ii) travel and (iii) consumer electronics. 3
TOURISM MARKET Tourism Overview Australia received 141,300 Hong Kong visitors for the year ending June 2010, an increase of 3.7% over the previous year, according to Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The International Visitor Survey (IVS) results for the year ending (Y/E) June 2010 showed that a total 44,800 visitors from Hong Kong visited Victoria, which was an increase of 13.4% over the same period in 2009 and is the highest on record since 1994. The result outperformed New South Wales (NSW) which had a 2.7% decline but was lower than that of Queensland (QLD) which had 14.2% growth. The growth in arrival to Victoria can be attributed to the strong performance in Business (+46.1%), Holiday (+10.8%) and VFR traffic (+9.5%). Victoria saw a decline of 6% in visitor nights compared to the same period in 2009, which is much lower than NSW (+12.4%), QLD (+22.9%) and the national average (+14.6%). The Holiday, VFR and Business segments all showed positive growth, however, the decline is due to Education segments which lost 19.9%. Tourism Outlook The Tourism Forecasting Committee s 2010 forecast, indicates that Hong Kong visitor arrivals will grow at an annual average rate of 3.2% from 2009-2014 and 2.9% from 2014 2019 and it is expected to reach 212,000 arrivals by 2019. Outbound travel is a habit to the Hong Kong market. Fuelled by the positive economic outlook, people currently have even stronger intention to take holidays. The MasterCard research and Visa Card - PATA Travel Intension Survey released in Jul 2010, both indicate that Hong Kong people prefer to travel in Asia with the three most popular outbound destinations being Japan, China and Taiwan, this is likely remain so for the next two years. In view of the recent hostage incident in the Philippines, Hong Kong people are more concerned about safety in destination selection. With the political turmoil, Thailand has dropped out of the top three favourite destinations. Visitors from Hong Kong take long haul holidays to Europe, Australia, US, India and Middle East especially during peak holiday periods. Due to higher travel cost compared to short haul, they are more sensitive to price and would easily be turned-on / off by exchange rate fluctuations and will react to discount promotions by travel agents or airlines. 4
The Visa Card - PATA Travel Intension Survey reveals that overall Hong Kong travellers evaluate the attractiveness of their holiday destination based on local cuisine, natural scenery and the novelty of the destination. This supports the findings in the 2009 Tourism Research Australia International Visitor Surevy (IVS) which identifies Eating Out, Sightseeing and Shopping for Pleasure as the three most popular activities when in Australia. The IVS results also show that close to 70% of arrivals from Hong Kong are repeat visitors and they travel mainly in Free and Independent Traveller (FIT) format (87%). Among the visitors from Hong Kong, females accounts for 62%. The majority of male visitors are between the ages of 35-44 (23%) and 45-54 (35%) while for female it is 25 34 (30%). The peak travel seasons mainly fall during the Christmas, Chinese New Year and Easter periods. 5
Brochures Production FIT Agents January Validity Rates Validity Monthly FAST FACTS Hong Kong Group Independent Traveller (GIT) Agents: Annually - Feb/Mar Biannually: Summer Apr / May (Info required Feb / Mar) : Winter Sept / Oct (Info required Jul / Aug) Apr Mar (FIT Agents) Mar Aug and Sep Feb (GIT Agents) Setting Rates Monthly Commissions Wholesalers 10 15% (HK$350 HK$500) Retailers 5 10% (HK$100 HK$200) Key Source Cities Major Consumer Shows Major Trade Fairs Peak Travel Period Best Time For Sales Calls Materials for Sales Call Not Applicable International Travel Expo International Travel Expo Greater China Travel Mission Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) Chinese New Year (Jan / Feb) Easter (Mar / April) Summer School Holidays (Jul / Aug) Christmas (Dec) After Chinese New Year and before Easter to target Summer Holiday Traffic in Jul and Aug. During Summer Holiday (Jul & Aug) to target autumn and winter traffic. Brochures (print and electronic copies if available, Chinese version preferred) New updates Suggested itinerary in how attractions can fit into the overall itinerary in Victoria or Australia Royalty free high resolution images DVD (if available) NOTES: 1. Key GIT wholesalers tend to print Australia/New Zealand brochures either annually around March for validity from April to next March however some also produce brochure on a seasonal basis to keep the product information up to date. Some no longer print brochures but produce flyers. 6
INDUSTRY INFRASTRUCTURE Wholesale and Retail Travel Agents The Hong Kong market is dominated by a small number of key players that act as both wholesalers and retailers, supported by consortia made up of about 1,397 outbound travel agencies. The key outbound retailers selling Australian GIT packages are EGL Tours, Goldjoy Holidays, Hong Thai Travel, Miramar Travel, Morning Star Travel, Sunflower Travel and Wing On Travel. With that said, Wing On an Hong Thai alone accounts for 70% of the GIT traffic to Australia, Goldjoy Holidays have recently focused more on Europe and the Middle East. Morning Star Travel has just been bought over and owner intends to put strong marketing effort in the Australia route. All retailers have an extensive branch office network. The three key airlines-affiliated FIT wholesalers are: Holiday Tours & Travel (GSA of Qantas Holidays), Cathay Holidays and Travel Resources (GSA of both SIA Holidays and Virgin Style). These wholesalers actively promote Australian products to their own networks of sub-agents as well as directly to consumers. Besides the key FIT wholesalers, there are also key FIT retailers in the market, namely: Travel Expert, Wincastle Travel (also engaged in some wholesale business) and Worldwide Package Travel Service that have an extensive branch office network. Travel Expert is more active in advertising and promotions and Wincastle Travel has also done some outdoor branding ads. Tourism Australia (TA) has Key Distribution Partnership (KDP) agreements with major agencies. Hong Thai Travel, EGL Tours, Wing On Travel, Miramar Travel and Kuoni Travel (involved in some campaigns only) are GIT partners whilst for the FIT segment, Cathay Holidays, Qantas Holidays, Travel Resources, Travel Expert and Wincastle Travel are prioritised by TA as key partners. Travel agencies, especially for the GIT business, are highly dependent on airline pricing, fare patterns, flight schedule and seat availability, these can cause differences in itinerary inclusions in order to remain competitive in the market. In general GIT agents mainly use Qantas for its well connected domestic network suitable for multi-state itineraries. FIT agents use both Qantas and Cathay Pacific Airways and some also use transit carriers. As part of the TA Aussie Specialist Program (ASP), which was introduced in Hong Kong in 2001, as at March 2010 there were 411 qualified ASP agents. 7
Inbound Tour Operators Inbound Tour Operators (ITOs) handle all group business and a large percentage of the FIT market from Hong Kong to Australia, thus playing an important role in developing new products and itineraries. Online Travel Agents Hong Kong people are very internet savvy and are frequent mobile internet users. As per the 2009 International Visitor Profile for Hong Kong published by Tourism Australia, 59% of the first-time visitors and 34% of the repeat visitors used internet to find out travel information and aid them in planning itineraries. However, 50% use internet for information gathering only after they decided to come to Australia and 10% use internet to help them to make the decision in whether to go to Australia. In the Online Shopping Survey done by MasterCard released on 23 Feb 2010, only 13% of the respondents in Hong Kong indicate that they will browse and make purchases online compared to 56% in China. Online shopping was mainly used for Concert / Performance Ticketing (68%), Music Downloads (66%) and Online Games (65%). For online travel sector, 62% of respondents would purchase hotel rooms at the hotels web-site and 59% would purchase air tickets at airlines website, whilst only 45% would make purchase at a travel agents website. The convenience of instant confirmation and special offers on the hotel/airline websites along with possible concerns over online payment security and pricing at travel agent s sites, could be attributed to this phenomenon. Since they launched an online booking system in 2008, Cathay Pacific Holidays have been seeing continuous growth in booking numbers, especially outside business hours when consumers are free to make arrangement for personal travel. Online travel agents like Zuji, Priceline.com have put in significant marketing resources and are growing in popularity, especially with expatriates, however the overall volume remains low. Whilst the online sector is growing, for complicated bookings and traditional travel agent products, which do not provide instant confirmation, customers still prefer offline booking channels. 8
ARRIVALS TO AUSTRALIA AND VICTORIA 9
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AIR ACCESS TO AUSTRALIA & VICTORIA Airline Flight No Routing Number of weekly direct flights into Melbourne Hong Kong CX: Cathay Pacific CX135 Hong Kong - Melbourne Hong Kong CX: Cathay Pacific CX163 Hong Kong - Melbourne Hong Kong CX: Cathay Pacific CX104 Hong Kong - Adelaide/Adelaide - Melbourne London - Hong Kong QF: Qantas Airways QF030 Hong Kong- Melbourne Aircraft type Capacity per service 7 A330 264 7 A330 264 7 A330 264 7 B744 353 With the strong rebound of the economy in 2010 and strengthened demand for air capacity, on 9 Aug 2010 Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) announced that it would reinstate flights to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France and Japan. From Nov 2010 to Mar 2011, services to Sydney will be increased from 21 to 24 flights per week, Perth will increase from seven to 10 flights, Cairns will grow from 6 flights to daily service and Brisbane will have a total of 11 flights per week. However, services to Melbourne will remain as 21 flights per week with seven stopping over Adelaide. As a result of a shortage of aircraft, Qantas (QF) did not add extra services to Australia. This lack of capacity growth from Hong Kong Melbourne and increasing traffic from Europe to Melbourne via Hong Kong, will again impact on seat availability for the Hong Kong market. 11
Market S.W.O.T. Strengths Melbourne has the second highest flight capacity from Hong Kong of all Australian states. Melbourne is a safe and visitor-friendly destination. Melbourne s free City Circle Tram and Free Melbourne Tourist Shuttle, plus various sit-in-coach tours provide a convenient form of travel which appeals to the broad FIT segment. According to the Visa and PATA Travel Intension Survey (7 Jul 2010), travellers from Hong Kong often select holiday destinations based on local cuisine, natural scenery and novelty of a destination. Melbourne s world renowned food and wine scene, natural attractions and unique tourist experiences, position the state strongly within this market. Melbourne is considered a romantic destination that is rich in cultural and arts with strong European influences which, appeals to the honeymoon market. Melbourne is a city of hallmark events, some of which are particularly appealing to the Hong Kong market. The Spring Racing Carnival, Australian Open and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival are particularly popular. The Great Ocean Road is one of the most well known scenic drives in Australia which appeals to the growing self drive segment. Victoria offers world-class scenic golf courses which appeal to the growing golf market. Victoria has the closest ski field to Hong Kong during the Northern Hemisphere s summer and is able to offer dynamic experiences with ski, city and regional activities in the one destination. Visitors aspire to experience the blue skies and clean air in Australia given the severe pollution problem in Hong Kong. A vibrant education segment helps to drive holidaymakers and VFR traffic. Weaknesses Lack of world-class icons, compared to other Australian cities (e.g. Sydney Opera House and Great Barrier Reefs in Cairns). Need for a stronger destination brand identity and market positioning. Sun, sand and sea are often drawcards for the Hong Kong market and these are a stronger brand proposition in Queensland and to a lesser extent Sydney. Shorter shopping hours than other popular holiday destinations. Lack of major new development or attractions to attract repeat visits. 12
Shopping items (e.g. apparel) are skewed toward Western preferences or designs and price is comparatively more expensive than Hong Kong and other Asian countries. Winter in Melbourne can often be a deterrent for the Hong Kong market and activities in the region, e.g. Mornington Peninsula are seasonal. Public transportation in regional Victoria is not user-friendly for the FIT market and sit-incoach tours to regional Victoria may not appeal to all visitors, particularly repeat visitors. Accommodation rates fluctuate considerably and there is severe shortage of supply during major event periods. Most GIT agents use QF but QF s fare structure only allows two domestic sectors for free, leaving Melbourne as the optional extension in most tour group itineraries. Australia as a country is not a priority short-term destination for Hong Kong tourists. Opportunities With positive economic outlook for 2010 and 2011, Hong Kong residents have high intention to undertake outbound travel, and they intend to take six trips in two years (Visa - PATA Travel Intension Survey, 7 Jul 2010). There s nothing like Australia destination branding campaign presents new brand and tactical coop opportunities with travel trade partners. Virgin Atlantic (VS) completed integration with Virgin Blue (DJ) and started to issue through fares in mid Oct 2010 for international plus domestic sector from Sydney to other major gateway cities including Melbourne. This indirectly increased more flight capacity to Melbourne and induced competition which can help to bring down the air fare price and boost interest in short-break holidays. Hong Kong is a mature market and there is growing interest in self-drive experiences and for mono and twin city itineraries. This will provide opportunities for more products in Melbourne and adjoining regions. Improved economy has led to some travel agents creating ultra luxury products which provide a fresh angle in promoting long haul products, e.g. 19-days Across Australia Tour by Wing On at HK$118,999 (A$17,000). Rapid development of online / digital environment and Hong Kong being one of the most technology savvy cities in Asia allows NTOs / STOs to increase destination s visibility, consumer contact and product recall rate at a creative and lower media unit cost. The Hong Kong market is more concerned for travel safety after the Philippines hostage incident in Aug 2010. Australia has an advantage as it has been seen as friendly and safe destination. 13
Upcoming exposure in key media in Hong Kong, e.g. TVB Travelogue and a new FIT guidebook will help to strengthen destination awareness for both Melbourne and Victoria There are minimal language barriers for Hong Kong people travelling to Australia as English is widely spoken in the market. This also supports the growth in the FIT and niche segments. Threats CX increased flight frequency to Sydney, Perth, Brisbane & Cairns while keeping the same frequency for Melbourne. This may divert traffic to other states. Due to aircraft shortages, QF will not increase flight frequency between Hong Kong and Melbourne. This creates bottle neck pressure in the arrival from Hong Kong to Victoria, particularly during high seasons. Fluctuating exchange rate can deter travel to Australia. Within three months from Jul to Oct 2010, HKD to AUD surged by 17%, bouncing back to the pre global financial crisis level. In the Policy Addressed on 13 Oct, the Hong Kong Government launched a series of measures to help middle class in buying properties. This will assist more middle class people to buy property and impact on their saving and travel patterns. Increased competition from other countries with new/refreshed developments, e.g. Dubai has numerous new tourism developments and the cost of travel has dropped significantly after financial crisis, Singapore opened two Integrated Resorts in 2010 etc. Hong Kong people are spoiled with too many holiday options, many of which are visa free for Hong Kong passport holders. 14
MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES Support the International Media Hosting Programme (IMHP) jointly arranged by TA and TVIC as well as TVICs media familiarisations to raise awareness of products through the media in Hong Kong. Media in Hong Kong can also reach the Southern China market. Supply both English and Traditional Chinese press releases together with updated images (high resolution) to TVIC for potential exposure in the quarterly e-newsletters, media releases or feature. Videos in DVD format are also useful for online promotions and/or consumer events. Supply TVIC Hong Kong with promotional leaflets or brochures in Traditional Chinese (preferred), Simplified Chinese or English for distribution to consumers through TA s information counter. Promotional leaflets should have impressive images with short descriptions and web-site rather than being loaded with too much copy. Supply value-adds /discount vouchers to TVIC to distribute to FIT travel agencies to potentially stimulate product demand. Capitalise on Hong Kong peoples interest in food & wine to profile Victorian wineries and to promote special food and wine tours to Victoria. Leverage the numerous annual events in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair in Nov and the Hong Kong Tourism Board s Wine and Dine Month in Oct/Nov. Conduct sales calls in Hong Kong and/or participate in the TA Greater China Travel Mission to meet face-to-face with key travel agents. This will provide opportunities to implement direct promotions and cooperative marketing activities. For events, develop some exclusive offers, e.g. limited edition collectables or behind the scene visits. This can be an incentive for trade partners to package the event into itineraries. Support TVICs tactical promotions with trade partners in Hong Kong to increase exposure in the advertising and promotional channels and raise product awareness in the market. Support TA s ASP and TVICs trade familiarisations. As trade in Hong Kong cannot be away from the office for long periods of time, trips usually run over weekends, however products are encouraged to meet familiarisations to develop relationships with the travel agents. Provide special offers, value adds or discount vouchers for TVIC to distribute to key trade partners and for inclusion in promotional activity. Support trade or consumer promotions by supplying collateral, giveaways or lucky draw prizes to TVIC. Non-bulky and non-fragile items such as soft toys are most appropriate. Work with inbound and day tour operators to develop new or enhanced optional tour experiences that can be included in FIT or semi-packaged itineraries. 15
KEY STRATEGIC ACTIVITIES Key Segments Segments Primary Segments Singles / DINKs (Aged 25 44) Young Families (Kids under 12) Secondary Segments Mature Families (Kids over 12, some 3- generations travel) Segment Characteristics Prefer short stay holidays Willing to try new experiences Frequent travellers Prefer FIT packages Seeking special and once in a lifetime experiences Prefer short stay holidays Look for educational elements for children and prefer family friendly activities Have annual family holiday plans Prefer FIT packages Prefer easy and accessible itineraries Prefer travel in group Hassle-free travel style Tend to stay longer for holidays Prefer set itineraries Consumer Strategy: Brand and position Melbourne as the choice destination by matching our unique product offerings with the travel experiences sought after by the target customer segments in Hong Kong. Position these unique product offerings as the travel driver and to keep Victoria as a top-of-mind destination. Deliver the message to target consumers through innovative consumer marketing activities and the effective use of online media, and collaborate with strategic media and business partners to expand consumer reach. Position Melbourne through continual media exposure throughout the year via media famils (IMHP, non-imhp or famils by key travel agents), press releases and paid advertorials in key media channels to reach out to target customer segments. Focus on FIT Holidaymaker segments during low to shoulder seasons (Sep to Nov and Apr to Jun), with key messages: Self-drive, Food & Wine and Rejuvenation and Group Family segment during high season (Dec to Feb). 16
Promote special interest groups and hallmark events through collaborations with key partners, including sports associations and clubs (e.g. Hong Kong Golf Association, Hong Kong Jockey Club), airlines and / or banks. Strengthen consumer education to deepen the awareness of Victoria regional attractions by making information of these products readily available, e.g. guidebook production and explore opportunities to leverage online user-generated contents (bloggers). Seek out opportunities for filming TV travelogues, movies and / or TV drama series in Melbourne along with possible celebrity endorsements. Trade Strategy: Ensure continuous growth of Hong Kong visitor arrivals to Melbourne and proactively engage key trade partners to ensure consumer awareness generated via media exposure is supported by relevant thematic tour products. Leverage the promotional resources of key trade/business partners to maximise marketing efforts. Work with key FIT agents (especially airline FIT agents including Qantas Holidays and Cathay Holidays) to promote thematic products through special offers on local tours or merchant discounts. Work with key GIT agents to refresh tour product to enhance appeal to Family segment. Explore opportunities to work with key trade partners for joint media famils and marketing campaigns. Explore working with transit carriers which provide good connection to Melbourne to increase choices for FIT products, e.g. Singapore Airlines and Air Asia X. Target strategic business partners and consumer brands to jointly pilot the development and marketing of special interest groups and hallmark events such as self drive, golf, Melbourne Cup and Australian Open. 17
KEY INDUSTRY CONTACTS TOURISM VICTORIA, HONG KONG Suite 6706, Central Plaza 18 Harbour Road Wanchai, Hong Kong T: + 852 2531 3870 Ms Ellen Wong Marketing Manager Southern China & Hong Kong ellen.wong@tourism.vic.gov.au TOURISM AUSTRALIA, HONG KONG Suite 6706, Central Plaza 18 Harbour Road Wanchai, Hong Kong T: + 852 2531 8211 Mr Johnny Nee Regional General Manager, North Asia jnee@tourism.australia.com Ms Carmen Tam Manager Hong Kong & Southern China ctam@tourism.australia.com AUSTRALIAN TRADE COMMISSION (AUSTRADE), HONG KONG Room2404, 24/F Harbour Centre 25 Harbour Road Wanchai, Hong Kong T: + 852 2588 5300 hong_kong@austrade.gov.au Mr Phil Ingram Senior Trade Commissioner Ms Linda Yan Trade Commissioner AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL, HONG KONG Australian Consulate General Education Section 23 Floor Harbour Centre 25 Harbour Road Wanchai, Hong Kong T: + 852 2585 4144 Ms Heidi Fung Director (Education) heidi.fung@aei.gov.au Mr William Lin Senior Business Development Manager Mr Wilson Tang Senior Business Development Manager 18
AUSTRALIAN CONSULATE-GENERAL, HONG KONG 23/F, Harbour Centre 25 Harbour Road Wanchai, Hong Kong T: + 852 2827 8881 www.hongkong.china.embassy.gov.au Mr Les Luck Consul-General of Australia Mr Bruce Pope Consul (Immigration) MELBOURNE CONVENTION + VISITORS BUREAU (MCVB) Room 2108, Harbour Centre 25 Harbour Road Wanchai, Hong Kong T: + 852 2587 1171 Ms Jennifer Tung Regional Sales Manager, North Asia Jennifer.tung@mcvb.com.au VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT BUSINESS OFFICE Room 2108, Harbour Centre 25 Harbour Road Wanchai, Hong Kong T: + 852 2587 1133 Mr Allen Kwok Investment Director/Chief Representative Ms Jasmine Lu Senior Business Development Manager (Export) EBA COMMUNICATIONS LTD (TV PR AGENCY) Unit B, 19/F On Hing Building 1 On Hing Terrace, Central, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2122 9017 Fax: +852 2537 3012 Elaine Chao Account Manager elaine.chao@ebacomms.com 19
AIRLINES CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS Suite 1808, 18/F Tower 6 The Gateway, Harbour City 9 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 2747 8778 Ms Chitty Cheung General Manager Sales Pearl River Delta & Hong Kong QANTAS AIRWAYS 24F Jardine House 1 Connaught Place Central, Hong Kong T: + 852 2842 1441 Mr Freddy Li Regional General Manager, Greater China & Korea SINGAPORE AIRLINES 17F United Centre 95 Queensway Hong Kong T: + 852 2863 1801 Mr David Lim General Manager Hong Kong VIRGIN ATLANTIC 8F Alexandra House 18 Chater Road Central, Hong Kong T: + 852 2532 3051 Mr Paul Sands Country Manager Hong Kong, Southern China, Macau & Taiwan VIRGIN STYLE (GSA OF VIRGIN BLUE) 8F Alexandra House 18 Chater Road Central, Hong Kong T: + 852 2532 3051 Mr Paul Sands Country Manager Hong Kong, Southern China, Macau & Taiwan 20
Tour Operator Contact Details Wholesalers COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS CATHAY HOLIDAYS LTD Suite 1608, 16F Cityplaza 1 1111 King s Road Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong T: + 852 2747 4388 www.cxholidays.com A wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways. Serve both inbound and outbound travellers in Hong Kong. Offers wide range of free and independent air and accommodation packages as well as special-interest travel like ski, spa and golf travel. 200 Managing Director Mr Vincent Li T: + 852 2747 4339 One of the key FIT package partners, but Cathay Holidays prefers to work with Tourism Australia for serial promotions that cover all gateway cities in Australia. CHARMING HOLIDAYS Room 1908-1909, 19 th Floor, One Grand Tower, 639 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 2543 2453 www.charmingholidays.com.hk A wholly owned subsidiary of Ming Pao Enterprises Ltd. Well established in tour packages to long haul popular destinations in Europe, North America and Australia, New Zealand. 2,000 Executive Director Mr Eric Li T: + 852 2543 2453 Partner of TVIC for GIT agent promotion in Sep-Nov 2010. Strong in Student group travel as Ming Pao is one of the key newspapers that target schools in Hong Kong. 21
COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS JETOUR HOLIDAY (CHINA) Unit 1003-06, 10/F., Lippo Sun Plaza, No. 28 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 2111 8993 www.jetour-holiday.com HOLIDAY TOURS & TRAVEL LTD (GSA OF QANTAS HOLIDAYS) Suites 803-4, 8F World Finance Centre South Tower, Harbour City, Tsimshatsui Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 2736 8855 www.jetabout-hkg.com KUONI TRAVEL 30F, One Landmark East 100 How Ming St., Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. T: + 852 2956 6888 www.kuonitravel.com.hk In the market for more than 32 years and is one of the renowned tour operators in Hong Kong. Handle leisure package tours especially focusing on long-haul destinations, incentive, MICE, cruise and overseas education business. A General Sales Agent of Qantas Airways. A leisure arm of Qantas under the name of Qantas Holidays. Offers inbound and outbound holiday tours, accommodation, sightseeing and MICE. The products are distributed through direct retailing and a network of marketing intermediaries. Over 40 years in the tourism market. Formerly traded as P&O Travel, then S.K.Y. Travel and today is wholly owned by the Kuoni Group headquartered in Switzerland. Kuoni Travel offers a full range of comprehensive travel products and tour packages and services. Kuoni (Head Office) also have shares in ATM (ITO in Aus) and GZL in Guangzhou. 350 General Manager Mr Simon Wo T: + 852 2111 8993 2,000 General Manager Ms Christine Wong T: + 852 2737 6768 1,500 General Manager Mr Raymond Ng T: + 852 2956 6883 Head of Group Travel, Australia, New Zealand, Americas, Asia & China Mr Mandic Leung T: + 852 2956 6860 Focus on premium GIT group tours. No. of pax to Aus is lesser than before and was caught up by other GIT agents. One of the key FIT package partners. TVIC usually run 1 to 2 promotions a year with Qantas and Qantas Holidays together. Promotion budget and decision making are all by Qantas, only package details are put together by Holiday Tours. One of the GIT promotion partners with TVIC. Created the brand new Small Group Experience in 2009 but promotion of this product was not intensive. 22
COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS TRAVEL RESOURCES LTD (GSA OF SINGAPORE AIRLINES HOLIDAYS AND VIRGIN STYLE) 4F., On Lok Yuen Building 25-27 Des Voeux Road Central, HK T: + 852 2870 8700 www.travel-resources.com.hk In June and July 2003, Travel Resources was appointed as the handling agent of Singapore Airlines Holidays and Virgin Style respectively. Provides a wide range of travel packages to worldwide destinations for retail customers and agents. 1,500 General Manager Mr Joseph Lam T: + 852 2870 8782 Business Development Manager Ms Renee Siu T: +852 2870 8788 One of the key FIT package partners. TVIC usually run 1 promotion a year with Singapore Airlines and SIA Holidays. Upcoming promotions will be launched in Feb to Mar 2011. 23
Retailers COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS EGL TOURS COMPANY LTD 15F EGL Tower 83 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 3692 0888 www.egltours.com Company established in 1986, being an active and committed agent selling Australia products since 2002, EGL has been expanding and gaining a significant market share with quality products and niche products such as romance and honeymoon, nature themed tour etc. The agent is active in promoting both GIT and FIT products to Australia. 500 Executive Director Mr Steve Huen T: + 852 2315 2088 One of Tourism Australia and Qantas key distribution partners. One of the GIT promotion partners with TVIC. FARRINGTON AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 17/F, Millennium City 6 392 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 2808 2828 www.amextravel.com.hk A wholly owned subsidiary of American Express International, Inc. Company has divisions in business, MICE and leisure travel. Over 85% of company business is corporate travel. Provides a "one-stop shop" package of travel and related financial services. 500 General Manager Mrs Lily Agonoy T: + 852 3121 3168 One of the biggest corporate travel agents in Hong Kong which also handle a lot of MICE groups. 24
COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS GOLDJOY HOLIDAYS Shop 1002A-C, 1/F Shopping Arcade United Centre, 95 Queensway Hong Kong T: +852 2804 1188 www.goldjoy.com.hk Goldjoy had over 20 years experience to organize long hual groups for Hong Kong peoples. This agent has been focused in promoting Europe and Middle East groups, but come 2010, it aims to shift their focus and intensively promote Australia groups. 600 Managing Director Mr Freddy Yip T: + 852 2821 8822 Strong in Middle East and Europe GIT product, also have some tours to Aus. HONG KONG FOUR SEAS TOURS LTD 1-3/F On Lok Yuen Building 25-27A Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong T: +852 2200 7777 www.fourseastravel.com Over 30 years in the tourism industry. The company business mainly focuses on FIT & Corp and Ticket Wholesales. This agent has reached agreements with several of China's travel agents to provide joint ticket agency services for international routes in major cities in mainland China. 1,500 Chief Executive Officer Mr Paul Ng T: + 852 2820 6392 Agent focuses more on air ticket wholesales and corporate travel. Also have some MICE traffic. It also engages FIT package wholesale. 25
COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS HONG THAI TRAVEL SERVICES LTD (GIT) 5F United Centre 95 Queensway Hong Kong T: + 852 2108 8888 www.hongthai.com Hong Thai was founded in 1966, having staffed with more than 1,000 staff and 24 retail outlets in Hong Kong, is one of the leading GIT agents in Hong Kong. Its targets the mass market, positions itself as a "travel retail department store" and has won the award of "The Highest Number of Tour Participants" for consecutive seven years in Hong Kong. Its mission is to create innovative tours to stimulate consumer demand for travel which is highly recognized in the industry. 3,000 Director Mr Jason Wong T: + 852 2109 8711 One of Tourism Australia and Qantas key distribution partners. Partner of TVIC for GIT agent promotion in Sep-Nov. The biggest GIT agents in Hong Kong in terms of volume. Focus in mass products at affordable rates. Also has themed products like Indulge and Flowers and Fruit tours, plus ad-hoc premium tours that sometimes led by owner & founder, Mr. Jackie Wong is also a known figure in Hong Kong. LOTUS TOURS LTD 36F, Manhattan Place, 23 Wang Tai Road, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 2316 1106 www.lotus-tours.com Lotus Tours, established in 1957, is a founding member of the Hong Kong Tourist Association. This agent was honoured with "Travel Agent of the Year" in the Asian Pacific region. Presently with more than 300 staff, Lotus provides services in GIT, FIT & Corporate segments. 5,000 General Manager Mr Joseph Lam T: + 852 2316 1328 Agent focuses more on air ticket wholesales and corporate travel. From 2010, set up a MICE department and will put more resources in capturing MICE traffic. TVICs collaboration with this agent usually via SIA Holidays which is run by Lotus. 26
COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS MIRAMAR TRAVEL LTD 24/F, Causeway Bay Plaza, Phase 1, 489 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong T: + 852 3960 0053 www.miramartravel.hk Miramar Travel is a member of Henderson Land Group, a large property developer in Hong Kong. It is specialize in long haul GIT groups, including Aus/NZ products and has 13 outlets all over Hong Kong. It is one of the key distributors identified by Qantas and TA. In 2009, it developed a brand new product called "Self Drive Group Tour" which escort guide provide navigator service for tour members to self drive selected routes in various states in Australia, including Victoria. Morning Star established in 1972 and was the first travel agency group to become public listed in 1989 in Hong Kong. In addition to regular outbound tour packages covering all popular sightseeing spots around the world, the agent offers specialinterest tours such as shopping and golfing. 2,500 Deputy General Manager Long Haul & Southeast Asia Mr Thomas Chan T: + 852 3960 0808 One of Tourism Australia and Qantas key distribution partners. Partner of TVIC for GIT agent promotion in Sep-Nov 2010. Created Self Drive Group Tour in 2009. MORNING STAR TRAVEL SERVICE LTD Unit 202, 2F Tower 1, Enterprise Square 9 Sheung Yuet Road, Kowloon Bay Kowloon, Hong Kong 500 Assistant General Manager Ms Dannia Cheung T: + 852 2722 3233 Morning Star focuses more in short haul GIT products given its Malaysian company background. T: + 852 2519 8088 www.morning-star.com.hk 27
COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS SUNFLOWER TRAVEL SERVICE LTD 9F Millennium City 6 392 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 2722 2888 www.sunflower.com.hk SWIRE TRAVEL LTD 6F Cambridge House Taikoo Place, 979 King s Road Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Over 20 years experience in GIT segment. Sunflower received many rewards including Hong Kong Superband Award (2004) from Superbrands International. This agent has branches in different districts in Hong Kong. 1,500 Managing Director Mrs Cindy Young T: + 852 2722 2868 Cindy migrated to Melbourne with daughters still staying in Melbourne. Sunflower is active in promoting Aus product including Melbourne given Cindy is familiar with the tourism products in Victoria. T: + 852 3151 6688 www.swiretravel.com Established in 1948, Swire Travel is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swire. The company is specialized in FIT, Corporate and MICE business. Swire Travel was the first agent to be appointed to the Hong Kong Travel Industry Council. In 2007 & 2008, this agent awarded the Best Travel Agency by Travel Weekly. 500 General Manager Business Development, Destinations & Events Management Mr Edmund Tsang T: + 852 3151 8868 One of the biggest corporate travel agents in Hong Kong which also handle a lot of MICE groups. 28
COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS TRAVEL EXPERT LTD 1/F., Chiu Lun Building 15-25 Chiu Lung Street, Central, Hong Kong T: + 852 2845 3232 www.travelexpert.com.hk An FIT agent, since 1986, with the most number of retail outlets in Hong Kong being 38 branches, is experienced in selling SE Asia products but has been actively promoting Australia in recent years by joining force with Tourism Australia as one of the key FIT partners. Its farmstay FIT package in Victoria has become one of the most sellable product to Australia and recently developed self drive packages in Victoria. Travel Expert welcome the joint promotion opportunities to work with local operators to include value-added offers in the FIT packages to make it more appealing in the market. 1,700 Director of Product Development Mr Sedgewick Cheung T: + 852 2868 2201 Travel Expert is the biggest FIT retail agent in Hong Kong in terms of outlets. It is also one of the FIT promotion partners with TVIC. Travel Expert has been more active in advertising and promotions since 2009. It supported Tourism Australia for a media famil in Jun 2009 and will be working with Tourism Australia again on the TVB travelogue that will be filmed in Jan 2011. Leveraging on the publicity of the TVB travelogue, TVIC will launch promotions with Travel Expert in Feb to Mar 2011. 29
COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS TRAVELEX HONG KONG LTD Suites 1303-05, 13/F, One Landmark East 100 How Ming Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 3196 5555 www.travelextravel.com.hk Travelex Travel Services provide 5 aspects of travel services in 3 branches in city centre and the international airport. The company emphasizes on travel managements for the customers. Travelex weekly e-newsflash provides updated information of the best bargain products, the trendy travel topics and the comprehensive travel information. 1,000 General Manager, Corporate & Leisure Travel Ms. Eliza Ma T: + 852 2270 2688 One of the key corporate travel agents in Hong Kong which also handle some MICE groups. WESTMINSTER 17/F, BEA Tower, Millennium City 5, 418 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong T: +852 2313 9700 www.westminstertravel.com Established more than thirty years ago, Westminster Travel Limited is one of Hong Kong's leading travel agencies with an annual gross turnover of approximately HK$3 billion. It has been successfully listed in Singapore Exchange on 23 January 2009. Westminster has subsidiaries Jecking Tours & Travel Ltd and Wincastle Travel. 500 Managing Director Mr Larry Lo T: + 852 2313 9700 One of the biggest corporate travel agents in Hong Kong which also handle a lot of MICE groups. 30
COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS WINCASTLE TRAVEL (HK) LTD 16F Oriental Centre 67 Chatham Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 2739 7318 www.wincastle.com.hk HONG KONG WING ON TRAVEL SERVICE LIMITED 7F Paul Y Centre 51 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong Kowloon, Hong Kong T: + 852 2121 9393 www.wingontravel.com Established in 1986, Wincastle is a medium size travel agency with over 100 staff and 6 branches. 75% of the company shares were acquired by Westminster-HK. Wincastle is an experienced wholesaler and retailer, specializing in leisure FIT packages, corporate travel, worldwide conferences and tailor-made incentive tour. Wing On Travel has been in business for over 45 years and listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in 1997. This agent operates 20 branches and serves over 400,000 customers every year. The products cover 400 destinations in 50 countries. In 2009, 90% of the company shares are acquire by Ctrip.com International. 800 Managing Director Mr William Leung T: + 852 2301 1263 5,000 General Manager Ms Jo Jo Chan T: + 852 2121 9333 Wincastle is one of the key FIT agents in Hong Kong which involve in both retail and wholesales. It is also one of the FIT promotion partners with TVIC. Wincastle is also stepping up promotions on its brand in 2010. One of Tourism Australia and Qantas key distribution partners. Partner of TVIC for the Wing On & 5 Aus STOs joint promotion in Sep to Nov 2010. It is the biggest GIT agents in Hong Kong. Aims to sell better quality tours with quality escorted experience. 31
COMPANY HEAD OFFICE COMPANY OVERVIEW ANNUAL PAX TO AUST. KEY PERSONNEL COMMENTS ZUJI 28/F, Chinachem Leighton Plaza 29 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong T: +852 21755233 www.zuji.com.hk ZUJI is part of the Travelocity family and owned by Sabre Holdings. It is an online travel agent aims to bringing great value travel choices to travellers in Asia Pacific, offering a choice of more than 400 airlines, 60,000 hotels, and thousands of car hire, activities, attractions as well as travel insurance to travellers. ZUJI has a network of online travel sites in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, India, Korea and Singapore. 300 General Manager Mr Charlie Wong T: +852 21755233 One of the few online travel agents in Hong Kong. Zuji conduct promotions periodically on campaign basis. 32
Trade Media BUSINESS TRAVELLER ASIA-PACIFIC Suite 405, 4F Chinachem Exchange Square 1 Hoi Wan Street Quarry Bay, Hong Kong T: + 852 2594 9322 Ms Margie T. Logarta Managing Editor, Asia TTG ASIA MEDIA PTE LTD 34F Citicorp Centre 18 Whitfield Road Causeway Bay, Hong Kong T: + 852 2605 3157 Ms Prudence Lui Correspondent MIX Suite 405, 4F Chinachem Exchange Square 1 Hoi Wan Street Quarry Bay, Hong Kong T: + 852 2594 9322 Ms Margie T. Logarta Managing Editor, Asia CEI CONFERENCE EXHIBITION INCENTIVES ASIA PACIFIC 23F The Centrium 60 Wyndham Street Central, Hong Kong T: + 852 3175 1934 Shannon Sweeney Editor Main Inbound Tour Operators Australian Tours Management (ATM) AOT Group (Experience Tours Australia) Ananda (Wing On) Tours CP Tours Holiday Pacific Jade Express Time Travel Tour East Australia ERM Travel GTA Australasia Transglobal Tours WEL Travel 33