HKTB Hosts 2008 Hong Kong WinterFest

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has announced that the 2008 Hong Kong WinterFest will be held from November 28, 2008 to January 4, 2009.

This event is being organized by the HKTB for the seventh consecutive year.

HKTB has been actively promoting local festive decorations and activities to assist in holding the events for several years. This year, the giant Christmas tree will return to Central during the 2008 Hong Kong WinterFest.

James Tien, chairman of the HKTB, said that the 2008 Hong Kong WinterFest will lend a platform for cooperation between the HKTB and other travel enterprises to stimulate travelers' interest in visiting Hong Kong for Christmas and New Year celebrations, especially those from short-haul markets.

Huang Fengxian, general manager for destination marketing of the HKTB, said that Christmas and New Year holidays have always been tourism peak periods for visitors from short-haul markets, and HKTB has taken advantage of this opportunity to promote Hong Kong's festivities with multiple elements targeting mainland China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. Huang added that last year there were 2.78 million tourists visiting Hong Kong and participating in the winter festival.

This year, the event has a budget of HKD25 million, 60% of which will be used for promotion in overseas markets. There is an expectation that the number of visitors in Hong Kong this year would reach at the same level to last year in spite of the global financial depression.