ENG-1995 — Page 362

TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Cease video, and performances by members of the Hong Kong's Academy for Performing Arts.

In co-operation with Cathay Pacific Airways, the HKTA continued the Friends of Hong Kong Super City programme, which aimed to develop a corps of Hong Kong supporters among South-east Asian travel agencies with a track record of selling Hong Kong. The programme enabled travel agency staff to provide more information about the territory when suggesting holiday plans to their clients.

Familiarisation visits to Hong Kong were arranged for 3 148 travel agents to encourage them to include the territory in their clients' travel itineraries or to extend the Hong Kong portion of their current Far East tour package. To further support the promotion of Hong Kong, the association worked with some 120 Hong Kong- based foreign correspondents and news organisations, and assisted about 1 200 visiting overseas media representatives with their coverage of Hong Kong.

The 'Events Capital of Asia'

In the year, the HKTA continued to organise a series of events to promote the territory as a year-round travel destination, highlighting its special blend of East and West, and extensive range of top-quality events and attractions. In June, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival International Races, organised for the 20th consecutive year, was again a major attraction and received widespread international publicity. A total of 42 overseas and 128 local crews competed, and a series of charity races raised $908,000 for the Community Chest. The 1995 Hong Kong Food Festival attracted 70 international food writers and television crews in March, resulting in extensive overseas publicity for local culinary attractions.

The HKTA also carried out overseas promotions for special events such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Cathay Pacific/Hong Kong Bank Invitation Rugby Sevens Tournament and the Cathay Pacific/Wharf Holdings International Cricket Sixes. Regional promotions for The Phantom of the Opera, the renowned musical production, enhanced the territory's role as the 'Events Capital of Asia'. The musical attracted some 10 000 overseas visitors, who spent about $50 million in the territory. Special shopping promotions were organised in conjunction with the Association of Retailers and Tourism Services (ARTS), including the 'Wonder Value Wonder Sales' summer promotion and 'A Season to Give' winter promotion, to encourage more visitors to come to the territory in off-peak months.

In addition, the HKTA continued to operate special interest tours, including The Land Between, Come Horseracing, Family Insight, Sports and Recreation, and Heritage tours. Special culinary tours were operated during the 1995 Food Festival. Major Chinese festivals were promoted extensively with tours organised for visitors to attend the annual Bun Festival on Cheung Chau Island and the Tin Hau Festival celebrations in Yuen Long. In all, 33 200 visitors enjoyed HKTA tours in 1995.

Conference and Incentive Travel

The association's success in promoting the territory as a venue for international conventions and corporate events is reflected by the number of international conferences and exhibitions confirmed for Hong Kong over the next few years. These include the prestigious annual meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the Asia Pacific Life Insurance Congress,

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