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| FEATURE: Top "Must-Buy" Products of Hong Kong Voted |
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Top "must-buy" product categories of Hong Kong have been voted by foreign visitors and locals after worldwide survey and E-voting.
This would greatly boost their spending in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Tourism Board believed.
Hong Kong's six most popular product categories voted are handicrafts, Chinese clothing, Chinese tea, Chinese tableware, gold jewelry and Chinese assorted cakes, according to the results of the Hong Kong "Must Buy" program released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
By identifying merchandise most representative of Hong Kong and most popular with tourists, the board aims to broaden the range of experiences available to visitors and stimulate their spending.
In March, the board invited travel trade members and media representatives to name their preferred souvenirs. Ten product categories with most nominations were short-listed.
The short listing exercise was followed by sample surveys done through interviews with 950 Hong Kong residents and 1,050 visitors,150 from each of the seven major markets.
A worldwide E-voting session was also held between May 8 and May 22, during which a total of 1,651 votes were received, 36.5 percent from local voters and 63.5 percent from other parts of the world.
Revealing the results of the program, Hong Kong Tourism Board Chairman Selina Chow said that the final six product categories were identified after having collated the results of the sample surveys and the E-voting session.
"The categories chosen cover a variety of products, such as foodstuffs, fashion and accessories and houseware. The blend of trendy designs and traditional features is a golden example of how Hong Kong's Chinese and Western cultures converge," Chow added.
Chow said she believed the program would strengthen Hong Kong's image and open up new business opportunities.
Overall, respondents were most interested in Chinese-style products with Hong Kong characteristics, placing handicrafts and Chinese clothing on top of the list. For instance, Chinese tea is strongly favored by short-haul visitors, in particular those from Japan and Korea.
Visitor spending could increase if manufacturers and suppliers further utilized their existing strengths of quality and packaging, complemented by the board's strong promotions in this market, she said.
Gold jewelry was named the favorite product of mainland visitors, which was attributed to Hong Kong's record for quality, creativity and excellent craftsmanship. Its uniqueness and value for money should also be highlighted for greater market development.
The report also recommended that the branding of "Hong Kong" for these products be enhanced, for example, with more attractive designs and packaging. Also, the focus of promotions in the various markets would differ since preferences and demand vary.
Clara Chong, the executive director of the board, explained that the survey and E-voting session had provided the board with useful information about visitors' spending patterns.
Eighty-five percent of respondents said that they would purchase souvenirs, with more than half saying that they would spend more than 1,000 HK dollars (128.2 U.S. dollars) on these products," Chong said.
The expected average per capita spending on souvenirs by the visitors surveyed is 2,892 HK dollars (370 U.S. dollars), while the amount spent by mainland visitors reached 3,460.7 HK dollars (443 U.S. dollars), she added.
Chong stressed that the board would market Hong Kong "Must Buy" globally, which includes organizing consumer shows and making use of posters, leaflets, promotional vignettes and tourist publications.
A consumer promotion focusing on the six categories begins in Taiwan at the end of June. Hong Kong "Must Buy" is also part of an activity in Beijing in July to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and a consumer event in Singapore.
Editor: Inner Wu
Source: Xinhuanet
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