THE Hong Kong Tourism Board launches its online training programme to agents today.
HKTB Northern Europe director Richard Hume said he expects the training programme to get up to 1,000 agents in the first year, which will help the destination continue its 10% year-on-year growth.
Hong Kong is set to break the 500,000 visitor barrier this year, with 10% growth on top of last year’s 464,000 visitors, already a record for the destination.
Agents who complete the four core modules – Why Sell Hong Kong?, What to Sell in Hong Kong, How to Sell Hong Kong and Essential Fast Facts – will become official Hong Kong Specialist Agents, who will have access to a sales support from HKTB.
The training programme, at SpecialistHK.com, allows agents to base their learning around their job – every time they log back in to the programme it picks up where they left off.
Hume said the destination offers something for all travellers including shopping, nightlife, culture and history. He plans to link the training scheme with suppliers’ schemes to make it as comprehensive as possible for agents.
He hopes the scheme will help agents encourage travellers to spend longer in the country. UK visitors currently spend an average of less than four days in Hong Kong, although exit surveys show holidaymakers wish their stay was for six days.
Meanwhile, the HKTB is offering 30 of its first specialist agents a place on a December fam trip. Agents must qualify before the end of October and write 100 words on how to sell Hong Kong.