A new daily service between Singapore and Hong Kong operated by Greater Bay Airlines (GBA) is expected to make selling destination Hong Kong easier to leisure travellers and school groups, say Singapore-based agents attending a fam trip this week co-hosted by the low-cost carrier (LCC) and Regal Hotels International.
Fourteen travel agents along with two journalists flew on GBA’s second flight out of Singapore on April 27 for a three-day destination showcase, which featured site inspections of Hong Kong Disneyland; guided tours of Sky100 and Hong Kong Palace Museum; accommodation at Regala SkyCity Hotel and iClub To Kwa Wan Hotel; and a Hong Kong Tourism Board-hosted dinner reception at Mondrian Hong Kong’s Avoca.
Elizabeth Chuan, director of Pac-West Travel, an agency that specialises in school groups, said the new service would provide budget conscious clients an additional flight option.
Currently, other LCCs serving the route are Scoot and AirAsia, while full-service competitors are Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.
“Some clients prefer affordable flights so as to be able to spend more on destination experiences,” said Chuan.
The new GBA service also facilitates flight arrangements for larger groups that may not be able to secure enough seats on other airlines, remarked Kim Travel Services’ general manager, Vivien Lim, who added that legroom, seat comfort and inflight service levels onboard are commendable for an LCC option.
Agents told TTG Asia that Hong Kong remains an attractive destination for their clients, due mostly to the city’s gourmet and shopping draws.
Nam Ho Travel Service’s product manager, Sam Lee, said Hong Kong Disneyland’s World of Frozen attraction, which opened in November last year, is a novelty for Singaporean holidaymakers, while shopping and dining are evergreen favourites.
Among school groups, Hong Kong is appealing because it shares “similar culture values” with Singapore and offers opportunities for students to experience the city’s “pace of life and working styles”, so as to inspire ideas that could be applied back home, according to Chuan. When in Hong Kong, school groups would visit local academic institutions, take on industrial visits, such as to the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and the Legislative Council Complex, and participate in cultural immersion activities. For leisure, Hong Kong’s theme parks are often favoured.
Renee Kim, general manager of Regala SkyCity Hotel, expects the new GBA flights – and any new air access into Hong Kong – to lift leisure and business travel demand for the special administrative region of China.
“Especially with Hong Kong being positioned as the central business district of the Greater Bay Area (comprising Hong Kong, Macau, and the nine municipalities in Guangdong Province), GBA’s new Singapore-Hong Kong flights will make it even easier for travellers to come by Hong Kong for work and leisure, and extend onwards to the other cities,” said Kim.
She predicts interest in Hong Kong and the new SkyCity integrated development district, where the hotel is located, will spike come mid-2024, when phase one entertainment facilities are launched. The new openings include KidZania within the 11Skies retail, dining and entertainment hub. 11Skies straddles Hong Kong International Airport and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
