In Brief

Tourism NZ Goes Online

Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) recently launched an online travel planner for travellers planning to visit the country. The new online planner available at www.newzealand.com is the first of its kind offered to travellers to plan their vacation. The entire process involves three steps: collect, that involves planners to choose avenues like transport and accommodation; organise, that allows users to place activities and locations into a calender; and share, that lets them share it with other users. The customised travel plan can also be taken to a visitor information centre located in New Zealand for more local information. The website won an international Webby Award for best tourism site in the world earlier this year.

HK Shopping Festival Aims To Attract 4.63 Mn Visitors

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will stage the 2005 Hong Kong Shopping Festival for two months from June 25 until August 31, this year. The two month long festival is expected to further increase visitor arrivals from 4.40 million last year to 4.63 million this year.

HKTB executive director Clara Chong said that for the fourth consecutive year, the HKTB is staging a mega event themed around shopping. "Over the past years, the Hong Kong Shopping Festival has turned the traditionally quiet summer period into another peak travel season. The Festival will attract a record-breaking 4.63 million visitor arrivals this year, generating at least HK $14.2 billion of spending for our tourism-related sectors.”