Hong Kong welcomes the world with a bang

Now’s the perfect time to visit Hong Kong. With SARS no longer an issue, the former Crown Colony is back on its feet offering travelers from around the world a wealth of events and offers to make their visits sweet and unforgettable.

Last Aug. 17, the Hong Kong Tourism Board unveiled Strato-Fantasia, a grand multi-media sound and light stratosphere show, the first in Asia and the largest yet in the world, to welcome more than 3,000 visitors from around the world.

The Strato-Fantasia kicked off HKTB’s Hong Kong Welcomes You promotion, an eight-month celebration that re-imagines many of Hong Kong’s celebrations.

HKTB chairman Selina Chow said the Strato-Fantasia and the welcome banquet that followed the presentation were intended to send a message to the world that Hong Kong is back to its dynamic best, and is ready and waiting to welcome visitors once more.

"There has never been a better time to visit Hong Kong and we are rolling out the welcome mat for them," Chow said. "Thanks to the concerted efforts of the entire community, especially our travel trade partners, Hong Kong is as vibrant and exciting as ever and we are all determined to make sure it stays that way."

The Strato-Fantasia is a 20-minute program that combines light and sound, film and fireworks in a grand production that will enchant both young and old. A total of 17 computers synchronize this spectacle which took programmers 1,000 hours to prepare. For the grand opening, the presentation extended to the nearby Golden Bauhinia Square where aerialists and a dragon dance delighted guests.

Chow said visitor arrival to Hong Kong is positive. The provisional July visitor figure has been set at 1.3 million, a 79 percent increase over the June figure and just five percent short of the figure for July 2002.

To support the HKTB’s Hong Kong Welcomes You promotion, Cathay Pacific flew in close to 1,000 VIPs to Hong Kong to join the celebration. Guests were flown in from 25 countries and regions, including North America, South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Europe and Southeast and Northeast Asia.

As part of its commitment to support the local travel industry, Cathay Pacific announced in July its donation of 10,000 air tickets to the HKTB to bring in foreign media, trade industry representatives and visitors to Hong Kong between now and early 2004. It also donated HK$2 million worth of air tickets as one of the grand prizes in the HKTB’s Hong Kong Super Draw, which runs until Sept. 30.

Of course, now is the best time to be in Hong Kong. With the end of season sale, shoppers will definitely get more than their money’s worth. But those still planning their vacations, here are some of the highlights of HKTB’s ongoing Hong Kong Welcomes You promotion.

Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of Hong Kong’s most beloved and colorful traditional Chinese festivals. To make the occasion even more joyous, HKTB is providing visitors with colorful lanterns on which they can write their special wish and hang it along the festive Wishing Lantern Trails along the Hong Kong Cultural Center in Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, from Sept. 1 to 30, and at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, from Sept. 10 to 14.

Hong Kong International Musical Fireworks Competition

To be held on Oct. 1, 5 and 12, international teams from Italy, Japan and the United States will compete with a team from Hong Kong in a sparkling showdown. The fireworks display is synchronized to music, lighting up the night sky over Victoria Harbor with a symphony of brilliant lights and pyrotechnic magic.

Hong Kong Winter Fest

Celebrate the yuletide season in Hong Kong with a variety of events designed for both young and old, including festive shopping and dining delights and a lucky draw that will bring lots of cheer to the winner. This will last for close to two months, from mid-November 2003 until early January 2004. The stunning view of Victoria Harbor gets even better as dozens of buildings will be decorated for a synchronized light show.

International Chinese New Year Night Parade

HKTB promises the greatest Chinese New Year Parade on Jan. 22, 2004. For the first time since it was first held in 1996, the parade will be held at night to illuminate Hong Kong to its prettiest. With a harbor view backdrop, magnificent floats and performers add merrymaking to the start of the Year of the Monkey.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. HKTB announces a number of developments that will make future visits to Hong Kong even more memorable, including the opening of Disneyland in 2005-2006.

Now, aren’t those great reasons to visit Hong Kong now?

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For inquiries on HKTB’s Hong Kong Welcomes You program, log on to www.DiscoverHongKong. com. For inquiries on Cathay Pacific’s flights to Hong Kong, call its reservation office at 750-8888.