Michael Lim, director Canada, Central and South America, HKTB & Anthony Lau, executive director, HKTB

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), together with the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sport and Tourism (SMBCST) hosted a multi-destination presentation event at the Marriot Downtown Eaton Centre in Toronto on Friday evening.

The event was held to encourage travellers to look at Hong Kong and Shenzhen as two destinations that Canadian travellers can combine into one. This experience has been facilitated to travellers through a new multi-destination program which showcases the “best that Hong Kong and Shenzhen have to offer.”

“We do believe that these itineraries will create new business opportunities for all of us here… and also bring new experience for visitors in Canada,” said Anthony Lau, executive director, HKTB.

“The majority of (Canadian) visitors - around 90 per cent - in 2011, told us that they would like, when they come to Hong Kong, to enjoy a multi-destination itinerary with half of them wanting to go to China and the other half continuing their journey to Southeast Asia.”

The multi-destination Hong Kong and Shenzhen itineraries are made easy for travellers by the cities’ proximity to one another. As Lau explained to the evening’s guests, travellers can quite easily walk from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.

Travel between the two destinations has been further facilitated for travellers as they do not have to apply for a visa in advance in order to go between the two. Travellers can simply book a tour that includes a trip visa, called a 144-hour convenient visa, and is available to groups of three or more people. The visas are arranged by registered agents and line-operators in Hong Kong.

There are three cross-border transportation options between Hong Kong and Shenzhen: the cross-border bus, train or ferry.

“These (visas) not only allow you access to Shenzhen, but also allow you to visit 10 locations in the Guangdong province,” explained Michael Lim, director Canada, Central and South America, HKTB.

Ke Gang Ming, inspector, Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sport and Tourism, gave a speech promoting Shenzhen in Mandarin, which was translated.

“Shenzhen is an international city, adjacent to Hong Kong, with well developed transportation infrastructure in terms of air, land and sea ports and therefore serve(s) as an important gateway between mainland China and Hong Kong,” Gang Ming said.

Gang Ming added that Shenzhen is renowned as the ‘City of Theme Parks and Golf,’ with world class shopping and 15 golf clubs.

“(2011) was a record year thanks to you,” Lim told the guests as he presented Hong Kong’s travel highlights for 2012.

Ross Cronin, general manager of sales, Eastern Canada, Cathay Pacific also presented on the airlines’ recent cabin upgrades.

For more information on the multi-destination itineraries, visit shenzhentour.com and discoverhongkong.com.