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.'
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