Hong Kong Bidsfor a Big Year

Armed with more than $4 billion worth of new and upcoming attractions, event venues and other tourism infrastructure, Hong Kong is mounting an ambitious campaign designed to ramp up interest from the U.S. meetings, incentive and leisure markets.

As part of its "2006 Discover Hong Kong Year" promotion, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has been campaigning by direct mail and spotlighting family trips. With 25 partners, HKTB also has added an electronic RFP feature at its website (www.discoverhongkong.com).

"We're already seeing a resurgence of interest in Hong Kong on the incentive side," said James LaValle, manager of conventions, exhibitions and corporate events for HKTB in Los Angeles. "Hong Kong was a big incentive destination in the 1980s, but then faced competition from all over Asia. The new attractions are helping, plus we're partnering more with other destinations in Asia."

Among those new attractions is Ngong Ping 360, a cultural destination due to open on Lantau Island in mid-year. One highlight will be the 3.5-mile Ngong Ping Skyrail, a cable car that will provide panoramic views on a route from a terminal site near Hong Kong International Airport to the hilltop Po Lin Monastery and its giant outdoor Buddha statue. The cable car also will take visitors to Ngong Ping Village, a venue that will have theaters, a teahouse and a retail complex.

Also on Lantau Island is Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened last fall. The 310-acre theme park has two hotels: the 400-room Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, which features one of Hong Kong's largest ballrooms, and the 600-room Disney Hollywood Hotel, an Art Deco-style property.

In the northwestern part of the city, the new Hong Kong Wetland Park, adjacent to the Mai Po Marshes Nature Preserve, is a sanctuary for more than 300 bird species and 50,000 migratory birds each winter. The park's visitors center provides audiovisual shows, wildlife models, interactive computer activities and wetland exhibits.

Meanwhile, there is a wave of hotel development that includes several properties geared for the incentive market.

Among them is the new 400-room Four Seasons Hong Kong, which opened in Central district last fall and features a full-service spa, two outdoor pools and 26,000-plus square feet of meeting space. Nearby is the new Landmark Mandarin Oriental, offering 113 large guestrooms and a two-story, 21,000-square-foot spa.

At Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, also in Central, a $110 million renovation is in progress. The 40-year-old luxury hotel closed down in December for a room-count reduction from 541 to 503 that will result in larger rooms and more suites. When it reopens in late August, the hotel also will have a new, 22,600-square-foot Mandarin Spa and Wellness Center.

Renovations were recently completed at the InterContinental Hong Kong. Several luxury suites were added, including a five-bedroom presidential suite that has its own rooftop swimming pool and terrace.