LCQ6: Developing educational tours
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There are views that educational tours, which integrate education with tourism, will not only enhance travel experiences, but also promote cultural exchanges and knowledge dissemination, thereby driving the growth of the local tourism, catering, accommodation and related industries and further stimulating the economic development of Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has plans to make dedicated efforts to promote educational tours by bringing together Hong Kong's historical and cultural resources, technology and innovative facilities as well as renowned academic institutions to attract student groups from the Mainland and overseas to Hong Kong to conduct study exchanges; if so, of the specific targets, promotion strategies and expected benefits; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will formulate relevant plans in the future;
(2) whether it will consider launching dedicated educational tour itineraries targeting different age groups and catering for different needs, such as innovation and technology itineraries focusing on visits to universities and scientific research institutions, cultural exploration itineraries featuring tours around museums and historic buildings, ecological experience itineraries on nature education and red itineraries on patriotism education; if so, of the specific plans; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether it has considered collaborating with local enterprises to introduce supporting services and concessionary measures specifically for educational tours; if so, of the specific plans; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
In respect of the question raised by the Hon Tang Fei, the reply is as follows:
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) promulgated the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0 (Blueprint 2.0) on December 30,2024, setting out four major development strategies covering four areas of work including product development, expanding visitor source markets, technology innovation and enhancing services. In terms of expansion of visitor source, Blueprint 2.0 proposes to examine the travel needs of silver-haired, family, study tour and youth visitor segments in detail. The CSTB, together with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), will promote the development of inbound study tours to Hong Kong through three areas, namely product development, enhancing promotion and upgrading support services.
In terms of product development, Hong Kong has world-class resources in the areas of culture, sports and ecology, etc., which are suitable for integration into study tours. Through exploring and consolidating resources, the CSTB and the HKTB will encourage the trade to develop more study tour itineraries and products with Hong Kong characteristics so as to satisfy the needs of students and parents of different age groups and learning needs.
An example of resource exploration is that the Ocean Park Corporation (the Park) has become the only entity outside the Mainland to be successfully certified by the Guangdong Study Travel Association and the Education Bureau of Guangzhou Municipality as a "Study Tour Base in Guangdong Province" and the "Fourth Batch of Study Tours Base for Primary and Secondary School Students in Guangzhou" respectively last year. These achievements further solidified the Ocean Park's leading role in the field of conservation and education (C&E) in the region and enhanced Hong Kong's appeal as a destination for study tours. We will continue to facilitate the Ocean Park to organise familiarisation tours and seminars for educational institutions in the Mainland as well as participate in exchange activities in the Mainland and overseas with a view to further promoting the Park's C&E programmes and activities. Currently, the Ocean Park is actively exchanging views with study tour organisations in various provinces/municipalities in the Mainland and Southeast Asia to explore the possibility of arranging their students to visit the Ocean Park for study tours.
As for the consolidation of resources, there are many landmarks and attractions suitable for study tours in various districts of Hong Kong, such as the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre, the Tai Kwun, the Hong Kong Sha Tau Kok Anti-war Memorial Hall and the Mai Po Nature Reserve. The HKTB has consolidated the relevant information and combined them into nine major tourism themes, namely Hong Kong's Past and Present, Revitalisation and Conservation, Cultural Arts, Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage, Natural Ecology, Environmental Protection, Technological Development, Public Services and Red Tourism. The list of tourism resources has been distributed to trade representatives, offering Mainland and overseas inbound study tours with information and reference materials for a wide range of learning experiences and activities to facilitate planning for suitable itineraries and routes.
On enhancing promotion, the HKTB held an online briefing in August last year to introduce the relevant themes, landmarks and attractions for study tours to travel trade and related sectors in Hong Kong. Subsequently, the HKTB invited delegation of Mainland study tour travel agents and educational institutions to Hong Kong for a five-day familiarisation trip for meeting and exchange with Hong Kong travel trade partners and experience Hong Kong's rich study tour resources, products and services first-hand, including visits to the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Information Centre, the Police Museum, WEEE · PARK at Tuen Mun EcoPark, social enterprise restaurants and docent tours organised by the Mills, as well as participation in Hong Kong's traditional dim sum workshops.
In future, the HKTB will continue to actively develop study tour market segment and promote Hong Kong tourism targeting the youth and study tour groups in the Mainland and overseas markets, including organising briefings for trade and inviting representatives of relevant groups and organisations from overseas and the Mainland to visit Hong Kong, with a view to deepening their understanding of Hong Kong's resources for developing study tours.
In terms of enhancement of supporting facilities, it is very important to ensure the product quality and service standard, as well as to improve the management system as study tour is targeted at the youth segment. In this regard, Blueprint 2.0 proposed holistically a series of measures to enhance the service quality and standard of supporting facilities of the tourism industry. Based on the operational characteristics of study tours, the CSTB will examine whether the supporting facilities, such as accommodation and tourist guides, could meet the development needs of the industry and reach out to organisations with potential to develop into study tour destinations, so as to comprehensively enhance Hong Kong's ability in exploring the source markets for study tours.
Thank you, President.
Ends/Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Issued at HKT 15:10
Issued at HKT 15:10
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