Credit: Travel Expert
THE launch of Pokémon Go in Hong Kong last week has prompted tourism stakeholders to leverage on the craze for more business opportunities.
FIT specialist Travel Expert took the lead by giving away 2,000 travel coupons each valued at HK$100 (US$13) from July 27 onwards.
“As we have over 60 retail stores in town, we hope to lure Pokémon hunters to drop by and redeem the coupons by showing us a screenshot of them catching Pokémon with any of our brand logos (in the picture),” explained a spokesman on how it works.
Meanwhile, Morning Star Travel Service has indicated interest in launching Pokémon Go travel products in the near future. Said Wilson, the agency’s director of marketing: “Details will be announced soon and we hope to target younger travellers.
“Frankly, we find (such trends) practical for business only in the short term because the life cycle tends to be short and no one knows how long it will last. Moreover, there is no exclusive ownership as competitors can easily join in.”
Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong Sha Tin has also joined in the fray by attracting Pokémon Go players to the property with announcements of Pokémons spotted in the hotel and its vicinity.
“We have put up Facebook posts on Pokémons spotted in the hotel to encourage fans to visit the property. In the past week, we have seen increasing number of guests wandering into our hotel area playing the game while dining or staying in our hotel,” said a hotel spokesperson.
“We are in the middle of planning some game or competition to get our guests involved later. In terms of revenue, we haven’t seen any major increment as a direct result from this Pokémon craze as the trend has only just started.”
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has also promoted the launch of the game via its social media channels and visitor information centres, highlighting that Hong Kong is the second destination in Asia to get the game.
“We will continue to evaluate the public response and ongoing Pokémon Go launches in other destinations to explore future possible promotion opportunities,” said a HKTB spokesperson.
