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IMMIGRATION AND TOURISM
market segments such as incentive travel, special interest tour groups and international conferences and business meetings, all of which are becoming an increasingly important element of Hong Kong's visitor intake.
Hong Kong has become the venue for a growing number of international meetings by business groups and professional organisations. In 1979 there were 143 international conferences with an overseas attendance of more than 29,500.
Specific marketing projects during the year included moves to diversify established travel patterns from the peak season months to the lower occupancy periods, particularly from the shorter haul markets of Southeast Asia, Japan and, to some extent, Australia and New Zealand.
The tourism industry's priority markets in all visitor-producing countries are the high- spending visitors. The objective is to maximise total visitor expenditure for the benefit of Hong Kong, particularly when only limited hotel rooms are available in Hong Kong at the present time.
In the United States and West Germany, a research programme to determine the size, needs and attitudes towards travel to Hong Kong of potential high-yield market segments was conducted. Plans are being formulated to expand this programme to other areas. Another study was initiated to ascertain the scope for increasing the expenditure pattern of visitors to Hong Kong, particularly in relation to shopping where inhibiting factors exist.
Efforts by the HKTA to portray a more accurate image of Hong Kong as a tourist destination in Japan are starting to pay off. Improved tours are providing greater freedom and exposure to more of Hong Kong's visitor attractions, other than just the shopping bargains. Japan continues to contribute the highest total visitor expenditure of all major markets.
Southeast Asia remained a strong and flexible source of visitors, although various political and economic factors affected travel to Hong Kong from some countries. Although the declining value of the United States dollar affected expenditure by American visitors in 1979, this market and its South American counterpart have good growth potential in the longer term.
Because of the delay in the announcement of new lower air fares between Australia and Hong Kong and the competition from lower air fares introduced earlier to Western Europe and the United States, there was a decline in the number of Australian visitors compared with 1978. However, visitors from New Zealand and Papua New Guinea increased. In terms of per capita expenditure, the Australian market registered the highest growth rate in the first six months of 1979.
During the year, major campaigns promoting Hong Kong as a tourist destination were mounted in Japan, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, South America, the Philippines and Australia. Participation of HKTA members was encouraging. High-yield business-producing contacts were made in trade and consumer promotions, which featured local entertainers, chefs and craftsmen, and achieved extensive publicity for Hong Kong.
A programme of consumer and travel trade advertising was implemented to increase the length of stay of visitors in Hong Kong and to encourage additional visitors in the lower occupancy periods. Advertising support was also given to some tour operators and bulk travel producers whose itineraries and brochures reflected Hong Kong's marketing objectives. A new 13-minute, 16 mm colour film, Hong Kong Time, was produced for television and cinema distribution, and to show to consumer audiences generated by the