When Shanghai's Xintiandi (新天地) was redeveloped into a car-free shopping, eating and entertainment district, no local could have imagined that the master plan included restoring so many of the delightful shikumen (stone gate) houses, along with the introduction of many cafés, book stores and fashion outlets. For the older generation who live in the area, imagine their surprise when Huaihai Zhong Road recently - overnight - became more Cantonese than Shanghaiese.
In a clever marketing tactic, perhaps inspired by theme parks and Hollywood, the special administrative region (SAR) of Hong Kong aimed to create a sense of surprise and ultimately, sell Hong Kong using the central theme of 'destinations'. Huaihai Zhong Road, normally the fashion center of Xintiandi, currently looks more like a mini Hong Kong. It has been outfitted with a range of attractions and ornaments such as Hong Kong bus stops, lamp posts, numerous 3D displays and features performances from several Hong Kong/American Theme Park troupes.
The HK$4 million dollar campaign called 'Connect to Hong Kong: Destination City,' aims to 'catch all', meaning not only those who could holiday in Hong Kong, but also thousands of others who could stay-over, before transferring onto flights for other destinations. For this reason, the Hong Kong Tourist Bureau (HKTB) has also completely disguised several Shanghai Metro trains with banners, making them resemble HK Express trains, a reminder of the ultra-modern, ultra-clean high speed rail that takes people to Hong Kong Airport. HKTB PR Manager, Amy Lam, clearly delighted with the outcome of the six month planning effort, said that the tactic could be 'adopted in other cities when we identify another great opportunity like this.' That great opportunity not only came from the World Expo, but also the permission of authorities that govern the Xintiandi district.
For those who could think of Hong Kong as a key holiday destination, the region has held nothing back in trying to promote itself in a new character. Its World Expo site activities have included many performances from dozens of different dance troupes representing different genres of the arts, while various sections of the Hong Kong government are heavily involved in various green/environmental conferences, in an attempt to present the SAR as more than just a place of business and exotic food. Even so, some free Hong Kong food at the Shanghai event would not have been wasted...
As for the street replica tactic, if in the long term the HKTB effort proves to be successful, it's a safe bet there will be other campaign promotions that adopt similar tactics, as various tourist organizations in cities across China are becoming very aware of how much the outside dollar contributes to city development and quality of life. Ideally, the tourism industry in any area needs original ideas that few have tried before and to endeavor to highlight the natural qualities that specific towns, cities and regions have to offer.
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However, in China's case, great care needs to be taken to avoid public relations disasters such as a Xian Warrior lounge sponsored by a Forbidden City former coffee shop or a national park selling southern U.S fried chicken. For this reason, most provincial tourist organizations currently rely heavily on services provided by private local and foreign agencies. This is a very expensive choice, when what is really needed is better demarcation of duties and competence over delegation of responsibilities within tourist organizations.
For provincial tourism, these problems usually begin after former officials are appointed responsible positions, when their real skills are in self-promotion and self-survival. Such officials do not easily delegate responsibility, preferring to maintain tight control as if the tourism position is a political win. Tight control also means avoiding the making of any substantial decision that could lead to risk of position. Little delegation of responsibility also means the employment of staff that often have no desire to make meaningful decisions. Consequently, simple decisions are shipped off to private agencies that can be easily disposed of or blamed, when campaigns go astray. As many of the newer agencies in China can be just as unqualified, things frequently do go astray. Officials and their associates get to keep their positions, but the costs of getting agencies to do everything, are very high.
The HKTB clearly hasn't gone down this road. Its Chairman, James Tien, comes from a commerce and engineering background and was educated in Illinois and Jose State Universities. His bureau, organized more along the lines of those in European cities, handles all basic research and marketing in-house and while this means cost savings and a lot more responsibility, it also means more control over the consistency of campaigns across multiple venues and media types. The Xintiandi concept was created solely by Tien's bureau and has been warmly received by tourists and locals alike. Still, let's hope for the HKTB that in the long term, children who attended Huaihai Zhong Road will associate Mickey and Minnie with Hong Kong, rather than California - or Tokyo. The Mini Hong Kong will disappear on June 15.
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