From June 11 to July 10, “tourist check-ins” on Mainland social media rose to 34%, leading topics like “shopping and entertainment” (26%) and “dining” (15%). This increase was driven by events featuring popular cartoon IPs and Dragon Boat Festival activities in Hong Kong. Despite a drop in “shopping and entertainment,” the new duty-free allowance for Mainland travelers, effective July 1, and ongoing concerts in Hong Kong continue to attract interest.
Yau Tsim Mong, Central and Western, and the Outlying Islands are the most popular districts, with attractions like the M+ Museum and Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade remaining tourist favorites.
Cartoon IP-themed events are booming; we should promote local creative IPs more.
Last month’s insights noted the “Doraemon Drone Show” on May 25 over Victoria Harbour opposite Tsim Sha Tsui’s Avenue of Stars was widely popular. The related event “100% Doraemon & FRIENDS” will be showcased at the Avenue of Stars from mid-July. These activities require visitors to check-in at “任意門” spots scattered around the city, encouraging exploration of more Hong Kong sights in line with the government’s “Travel Everywhere” policy. Such initiatives are worth considering for future tourism and promotional projects.
Recently, the Disney animated film “Inside Out 2” featured an exhibition and a limited-time store at Times Square in Causeway Bay, attracting many Mainland tourists for shopping and check-ins. Additionally, Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong opened a half-month pop-up store by MINISO and the popular Japanese anime Chiikawa, drawing long lines and significant interest on Mainland platforms. This shows that exhibitions and themed pop-up stores related to cartoon IPs have immense potential. If conducted as limited-time or flash events, they align well with the “commando-style” travel preferences of mainland tourists, who favor quick trips to Hong Kong for exhibitions and check-ins, thus boosting consumption.
In collaboration with Korean cartoon IP LINE FRIENDS, the Hong Kong Tourism Board co-hosted the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Invitational on June 15-16, featuring special photo spots. Notably, alongside popular foreign IPs, local IPs like the iconic Hong Kong character McDull also hold significant potential. Future events should prioritize partnerships with local IPs to boost the local creative sector, and consider creating new IPs, not necessarily limited to cartoons, using elements like the fire dragon dance to promote local culture.
Dragon Boat Races Promote Chinese Culture
Dragon boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival consistently attract numerous local and international visitors, generating nearly 2,000 related posts on mainland platforms recently. Notably, the Sun Life Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships 2024 held on June 10 at Stanley Main Beach and the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Invitational, co-hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Development Board and the China Hong Kong Dragon Boat Association from June 15-16 near Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui East, drew thousands of paddlers from around the world.
Posts indicate that both locals and foreigners favor the Dragon Boat Festival, highlighting its potential for promoting Chinese culture internationally. Despite its popularity and significant foreign participation in the races, promotional efforts on mainland and local media platforms are lacking. This year, with the Hong Kong government emphasizing Chinese cultural promotion, the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Invitational could benefit from improved marketing strategies similar to those used for events like the Hong Kong Sevens. Future Chinese cultural festivals should enhance promotion across local, mainland, and international platforms to attract more overseas visitors.
Free Events as a New Tourist Attraction
With the trend of budget travel prevalent in Mainland China, numerous guides on how to enjoy freebies in Hong Kong surfaced on Mainland platforms during the July 1 holiday. These included everything from Hong Kong Tourism Board e-coupons to free transportation and exhibitions. The industry should consider offering more free activities or coupons specifically for tourists, aligning with the new duty-free allowances for Mainland residents traveling from Hong Kong to the Mainland, to boost their spending in Hong Kong.
Positive social media sentiment, cultural recreation, and sports activities significantly increase tourist visits to Hong Kong
The Wisers Science University Tourism Index reveals a strong positive correlation between favorable social media mentions on mainland OTA media and increased visitor numbers. Friendly interactions and high service quality reviews from locals enhance Hong Kong’s attractiveness as a tourist destination.
Moreover, cultural recreation and sports have actively boosted tourist entries. Discussions about concerts under cultural recreation not only draw fans but also attract visitors interested in music events, enhancing overall visitor numbers. Sports discussions, particularly around events like the 2024 Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Invitational, attract participants and spectators, fostering tourism growth. These cultural and sporting events significantly enhance Hong Kong’s appeal and should continue to be promoted.
However, some mainland posts have negatively impacted this positive sentiment. Criticisms on social media about Hong Kong’s hospitality initiatives, where merchants question the utility of politeness without customers, have led to negative comments, potentially reducing tourists’ favorable views and trust in Hong Kong. In response, the Hong Kong government needs to collaborate more closely with merchants to improve tourists’ actual experiences and strengthen positive promotions.
Summary: Collaborations with cartoon IPs and local creative IPs create new opportunities.
On mainland social media, discussions about “tourist check-ins” have rebounded, accounting for 34% of the conversation, followed by “shopping and entertainment” (26%) and “dining” (15%). This resurgence is attributed to various exhibitions and events in Hong Kong that have collaborated with well-known cartoon IPs, along with Dragon Boat Festival activities.
The “100% Doraemon & FRIENDS Anywhere Door in Hong Kong” event, which started in July, encourages visitors to explore scattered “Anywhere Door” spots across the city, aligning with the government’s “Travel Everywhere” policy. This initiative and others like the recently released Disney animated movie “Inside Out 2” (localized as “Brainy Buddies 2”), which featured exhibitions and limited-time stores at Times Square in Causeway Bay, as well as a pop-up store by MINISO and the popular Japanese anime Chiikawa at Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong, demonstrate the vast potential of cartoon IP-related exhibitions and pop-up stores. These events, tailored as limited-time or flash events, cater well to mainland tourists’ preference for “commando-style” travel.
Dragon Boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival consistently draw significant numbers of local and international visitors, including the Sun Life Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships 2024 on June 10 and the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Invitational from June 15 to 16, co-hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the China Hong Kong Dragon Boat Association. With a focus on promoting Chinese culture this year, it is advisable to enhance the promotion of Chinese cultural festivals both locally and internationally.
During the July 1 holiday period, mainland platforms featured numerous strategies for enjoying freebies in Hong Kong, from Tourism Board e-coupons to free transport and exhibitions. The industry should consider offering more tourist-specific free activities or coupons, especially in conjunction with new duty-free limits for mainland tourists entering mainland China from Hong Kong, to boost their spending in Hong Kong.
Our analysis from the Wisers Science University Tourism Index reveals a strong positive correlation between positive social media sentiment and visitor numbers. High ratings for service quality significantly enhance Hong Kong’s appeal as a travel destination, leading to an increase in tourist entries. Moreover, cultural recreation and sports activities have also positively impacted tourist numbers.
In summary, future large-scale events or promotional projects should consider more collaborations with cartoon IPs or prioritize local creative IPs, or create new IPs based on local cultural elements. Additionally, continuing to strengthen the promotion of cultural recreation and sports activities will create more opportunities for Hong Kong’s tourism industry.
