IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM
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wellknown Hong Kong backdrops and the film, together with another featuring Hong Kong scenery, was released by the HKTA to television stations in many countries.
Pageant contestants from Japan, Indonesia, the United States, Germany, Wales, Australia and Mexico arrived in Hong Kong ahead of the pageant week to take part in a 14-minute HKTA promotional film. The film also includes the eventual pageant winner, Rina Messinger from Israel, and it is an invaluable tourism sales instrument for the HKTA.
In the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival races at Shau Kei Wan in June, a highly successful team of Japanese rowers ensured good newspaper and television coverage for Hong Kong in the important Japanese market. The event was recorded by an NHK film team in the form of a 20-minute documentary film screened in Japan. It was also filmed by Nagasaki Television and the Nagasaki Broadcasting Corporation.
During 1976 the HKTA assisted 670 media visitors from all over the world and sponsorship for many of them was provided by airlines and local hotels.
Travel Trade Visitors
Among travel trade visitors assisted by the HKTA during the year were represen- tatives of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, the Association of British Travel Agents' Retail Agents Council, the Association of South African Travel Agents, and the American Society of Travel Agents. The HKTA also continued its policy of hosting familiarisation visits to Hong Kong for travel trade members from major tourist markets.
Product Development
Throughout the year the HKTA organised and took part in various projects to develop Hong Kong as a visitor destination, and to improve existing attractions, facilities and services.
Among these projects were refresher training courses conducted by the Produc- tivity Centre for counter sales staff of HKTA retail members, and an English-language refresher course for tourist guides. Other projects in which the HKTA was involved included a souvenir design competition, the Yuen Siu Festival, the Lantern Carnivals, the proposed folk museums on Cheung Chau Island and at Sheung Shui, Chinese cultural shows, tour commentaries compiled for all standard tours of Hong Kong, and the provision of mapboards at Cheung Chau, Stubbs Road and Tsim Sha Tsui.
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