The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched its Let’s Go the Extra Mile campaign to encourage hospitality frontline staff and the general public that they can do more to demonstrate good hospitality.
A trade preview was held to share updates on the hospitality campaign, which was attended by about 120 trade representatives from tourism-related sectors – tourism, aviation, transportation, hotels, F&B, retail, attractions and MICE.
A trade preview for HKTB’s latest campaign was held to share updates to attendees from tourism-related sectors (Photo: HKTB)
Moreover, different sectors in the city will also launch various activities to create synergy, and work together to enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as a hospitable destination.
ATI Travel managing director Richard Woss said: “Hong Kong, unfortunately, is not exactly known as the City of Smiles – it is good to remind everyone in the industry to be proactively friendly and welcoming.”
Woss stated that the onus is on those in the hospitality sector to discover how they can improve on this, adding that his company frontline staff “love their jobs and are positive thinkers”.
Paul Leung, managing director of Holiday World Tours, cited that it is vital to figure out why people are not polite. He said: “Manpower crunch keeps frontline staff very busy so this root cause must be addressed. We should explore more alternative ways, like job satisfaction to incentivise staff, in addition to monetary rewards.”
He added that hiring foreign workers for hotel positions or even as coach drivers would be an efficient way to resolve this labour problem.
“Many industries suffer manpower shortage with staff overloaded with work,” he opined.
However, Liberty International Tourism (HK) CEO Portia Hau commented: “It is not fair to say all service frontlines are not friendly or not smiling. So far, local guides and retail shops demonstrate good hospitality. Some waiters at cha chaan teng (teahouses) are rude, but it’s not only to tourists but locals as well.
“We handle mostly foreign visitors, and don’t have bad feedback (regarding) our hospitality,” she noted, remarking that HKTB or the government should consider carefully before implementing such campaigns.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched its Let’s Go the Extra Mile campaign to encourage hospitality frontline staff and the general public that they can do more to demonstrate good hospitality.
A trade preview was held to share updates on the hospitality campaign, which was attended by about 120 trade representatives from tourism-related sectors – tourism, aviation, transportation, hotels, F&B, retail, attractions and MICE.
Moreover, different sectors in the city will also launch various activities to create synergy, and work together to enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as a hospitable destination.
ATI Travel managing director Richard Woss said: “Hong Kong, unfortunately, is not exactly known as the City of Smiles – it is good to remind everyone in the industry to be proactively friendly and welcoming.”
Woss stated that the onus is on those in the hospitality sector to discover how they can improve on this, adding that his company frontline staff “love their jobs and are positive thinkers”.
Paul Leung, managing director of Holiday World Tours, cited that it is vital to figure out why people are not polite. He said: “Manpower crunch keeps frontline staff very busy so this root cause must be addressed. We should explore more alternative ways, like job satisfaction to incentivise staff, in addition to monetary rewards.”
He added that hiring foreign workers for hotel positions or even as coach drivers would be an efficient way to resolve this labour problem.
“Many industries suffer manpower shortage with staff overloaded with work,” he opined.
However, Liberty International Tourism (HK) CEO Portia Hau commented: “It is not fair to say all service frontlines are not friendly or not smiling. So far, local guides and retail shops demonstrate good hospitality. Some waiters at cha chaan teng (teahouses) are rude, but it’s not only to tourists but locals as well.
“We handle mostly foreign visitors, and don’t have bad feedback (regarding) our hospitality,” she noted, remarking that HKTB or the government should consider carefully before implementing such campaigns.