Shangri-La woos Thais after Hong Kong travel slump
HONG KONG’S Kowloon Shangri-La hotel is tempting tourists and business travellers from Thailand with packages after a slump in arrivals from mainland China dragged down overall visitor numbers to the city last year.
Hotels and tourism businesses endured a tough 2016, after the number of international visitors to Hong Kong dropped 5.4 per cent from the previous year. While the decline was partly attributed to the global economic slowdown, the ranks of mainland visitors plunged 7 per cent.
However, visitor numbers from the major countries in Southeast Asia remained strong, with flows from Thailand jumping 15 per cent from the prior year. The Indonesia market rose 11 per cent and arrivals from the Philippines gained 12 per cent.
“The hotel is beckoning more visitors from potential markets including Thailand. We would like to have more both leisure and business travellers,” said Uif Bremer, general manager of the Kowloon hotel.
He said the hotel was satisfied with last year’s performance and he hoped the business would see double-digit growth this year.
The hotel’s top five markets for last year were the United States, Britain, Australia, China and Japan.
For the Thai market, the hotel has devised packages and promotions in cooperation with nearby shopping malls, including T Galleria by DFS, TSTE Store by Mody, and Habour City. Hotel guests will be given vouchers to for use at participating stores.
The hotel is also promoting business in the meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition sector (MICE) by offering incentives to bookers and organisers with the reward of an iPhone 7.
In support of its MICE business, the hotel has 16 function rooms including a 5,000 square metre ballroom.
The hotel is also offering a cultural heritage package for guests who stay at rates of HK$3,800 a night or more.
