The AIA Carnival, now in its 10th year, has become one of Hong Kong’s most popular winter festivals among locals and visitors. Randy Bloom, chief executive officer of Great Entertainment Group (GEG), which produces the event with insurance company AIA, talks about the event’s contribution to Hong Kong’s tourism industry
What would you say is the AIA Carnival’s biggest achievement across its 10 years of existence?
The 60-day AIA Carnival (which ran from December 20, 2024 to February 16, 2025) is unique. It is the first traditional European carnival brought to Hong Kong, and since then it has been recognised as an annual Hong Kong tradition for the people of Hong Kong and overseas visitors.
We’ve seen our youngest guests grow into excited teenagers; couples who went on their first date at the AIA Carnival are creating new memories with their own children.
While the AIA Carnival is one of the biggest events we’ve ever produced, another flagship asset of ours is the Hong Kong Observation Wheel at the Central Harbourfront Event Space, where we had something going on for 230 event days last year. Creating experiences on the Central Harbourfront for Hong Kongers and millions of tourists is central to what we do.
When Hong Kong reopened after Covid in 2023, international visitors to the Hong Kong Observation Wheel has increased to over 80 per cent. They came from the Greater Bay Area and many other places for the experiences that the landmark attraction can offer.
Has the pandemic changed the way travellers want to experience a destination or attraction?
It made people rediscover the importance of being together – with friends, family or community. The AIA Carnival is a place where people can gather and experience things while being together. It’s different from being in front of the big screen or at a theatre; there is a sense of community, a unique experience absent during the pandemic that made people everywhere realise how fundamental, how important it is.
When all Hong Kong entertainment and restaurants were closed during the pandemic, our founder and executive chairman, Michael Denmark, thought to create something behind the Hong Kong Observation Wheel.
The outcome was The Grounds, an outdoor cinema that worked with the requirements of social distancing and gave people entertainment. Since then, we’ve done our fourth year now.
Has GEG evolved its attractions and events to remain fresh for repeat visitors?
We do things differently every year for the AIA Carnival. One of the key features that premiered this year was the Blue Girl Dai Pai Dong, which denoted old Hong Kong, a place that’s also for young people to gather and have a beer. It was very different from anything we had created before – and very popular.
Elsewhere in our (tourism event) cluster, we are bringing back the Cirque du Soleil show, Kooza, from May 21 to June 1 later this year.
What opportunities are there for GEG to further contribute to Hong Kong’s tourism industry?
The government’s support of the Central Harbourfront creates a stable platform, giving us confidence to bring in international events and create home-grown ones.
We know that the Hong Kong Observation Wheel’s tenancy is renewed for five more years, so we can focus on growing over that period, imagining what we can develop and invest in to create even more experiences on the Central Harbourfront over the coming decade.
Hong Kong people have huge demand for world-class entertainment. With the vast new Kai Tak Sports Park development, new theatre being built in West Kowloon, and the Henderson Land’s Site 3 New Central Harbourfront under way, there is more and more infrastructure to host events. It creates focus on events and experiences as tourism magnets for Hong Kong.
We have a strong commitment to Hong Kong and we are looking at ways to be part of Hong Kong’s event culture for people coming from outside, whether for a day from Shenzhen or a week from the UK.
Additionally, over the next few years, we plan to create an informational tourism hub, where people whose first Hong Kong stop is the Hong Kong Observation Wheel can learn about everything they can do in town. We’ve partnered with Hong Kong Disneyland, the Peak Tram, and Chimelong Group’s theme parks in China. We want people to talk of their experiences with us and their entire visit – then bring more people when they return.
Our focus is not just about seven million Hong Kong people. It’s about 86 million people in the Greater Bay Area and being open to all of them who come to Hong Kong for a day or overnight visit. We’re asking how we can serve more as a destination, and create things so all those people will want to come to Hong Kong.
