The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has decided
to earmark 10 million HK dollars (US$1.28 million) for publicity
campaign via over 20 newspapers in a number of countries as of
Friday.
Mike Rowse, director of InvestHK, was quoted by the South China
Morning Post as saying Friday that the publicity campaign would
kick off with advertisements in more than 20 international
newspapers in Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Britain and
France.
He
said the first wave of advertising, which excludes North American,
will tell readers that the World Health Organization's travel
advisory on Hong Kong has been lifted and it is safe to come
back.
Canada and the United States will be included once the US Centers
for Disease Control lifts its travel warning.
The web site www.hklookingahead.gov.hk has also been established to
allow people to send e-mail postcards to friends and relatives in
other countries.
In
a related development, world leaders heading for the annual
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Bangkok, Thailand in
October will be invited to make a stopover in Hong Kong as part of
the city's 1 billion HK dollars (US$128 million) campaign to
rebuild its international image.
(Xinhua News Agency May 30, 2003)