Hong Kong shows Halloween spirit to lure in short-haul visitors (Feature)

By Hazel Parry Oct 30, 2008, 4:00 GMT

Hong Kong - Hong Kong has been named many things: Asia's world city, former British colony, the place where East meets West, and Special Administrative Region of China.

Now it can lay claim to a new title - Asia's Halloween capital.

For the first time, Hong Kong is being promoted as the place to celebrate Halloween in Asia.

In the months leading up to Halloween night, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has ploughed much effort into luring in short-haul tourists form Asia with the promise of Hong Kong-style Halloween tricks and treats.

In Taipei, 91 buses carried 'Hong Kong Halloween Treats' decorations while in the Philippines, roving trucks carried billboard-size messages proclaiming Hong Kong was the place for 'fun-tastic surprises' this Halloween.

At briefings in China and Taipei, the HKTB together with the theme parks Ocean Park, Disneyland and Madame Tussauds told travel agents and journalists about the meaning and appeal of a Hong Kong Halloween while mainland tour operators offered special spooky breaks and day trips to the city.

The marketing initiative follows the growing popularity of this western festival in Hong Kong which in the last decade has expanded from a one-day party event for expatriates to a month-long extravaganza in shopping malls, apartment blocks, schools and theme parks.

An HKTB spokeswoman said it was the board's strategy to capitalise on the marketing opportunities presented by well-established sports, arts, cultural events and Eastern and Western festivities to raise interest in Hong Kong.

'In the last couple of years, we have seen many local trade partners - especially those in retail, attraction and entertainment industries, stage very successful promotions and events built around the Halloween theme,' she said.

'Collectively, it jazzes up the city with great fun and excitement and creates another new promotional window to reinforce publicity and raise visitors' interest in Hong Kong.'

This year, she said, the HKTB had aimed the promotion at young travelers from Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines and southern China who in the past have proved responsive to promotions.

It is already a fact proved elsewhere in the world that there is big money to be made from Halloween.

A survey on behalf of the National Retail Federation (NDF) in September claimed total spending on Halloween in the United States was expected to reach 5.8 billion US dollars this year.

In Hong Kong, retailers have experienced a similar surge in the popularity of Halloween. Argha Sen, regional marketing director of Toys R Us Asia, said the festival had grown bigger every year.

'We were one of the first retailers in Hong Kong to start focusing on Halloween more than 10 years ago. Something like this starts small with demand from expatriates and it slowly gets bigger and moves into the local market,' said Sen.

'In the last few years, Halloween has literally been everywhere. It is one of our top seasons now - the others being Christmas, summer and Easter and the Chinese New Year.'

Joseph Bosco, an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, is not surprised Halloween has become such a big business in Hong Kong.

'The commercial aspect has been behind it from the very beginning but that's not enough otherwise they (the tourism/entertainment industry) would be marketing new holidays all the time,' he said.

'Halloween is seen as a happy festive time in Hong Kong. It is kind of wholesome here. It is also creative and people enjoy making their own costumers. There is also not much going on at this time.'

Likewise, the Halloween appeal has already proved a hit for Hong Kong's Ocean Park and Disneyland which this year staged their biggest ever Halloween events.

Ocean Park's Marketing director Vivian Lee said their first 'Halloween Bash' was held eight years ago when the park's finances were 'not that good' and they were looking for new ideas to boost numbers.

Since then, says Lee, their 'Bash' has grown and this year boasts eight haunted attractions, nine shows and more than 300 characters.

'October used to be a slow month,' she said. 'Before the Halloween Bash, the attendance for the month was 220,000. Last year we achieved 500,000.'

With local people hooked on Halloween, Ocean Park is now working with travel agents to entice visitors from southern China who this year they hope will account for 8 per cent of visitors.

Hong Kong Disneyland also hopes to repeat the success of last year's Halloween event which helped spur double digit visitor growth in the three months of October to December.

'Last year exceeded our expectations. We are already thinking of how we can make next year even better,' said Ben Wong, Regional Marketing Director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, adding that this would include expanding its Halloween marketing throughout Asia.

According to anthropologist Bosco the tourism industry may have got it right.

'It wouldn't surprise me that as more people in China have a vague idea of what Halloween is about, they might think it would be fun to go to Hong Kong to see the attractions,' said the professor.

'Hong Kong is often marketed as half western, half Chinese and this might be a clever way of getting people to come to Hong Kong.'