HKTB welcomes “Hong Kong Super Fans” worldwide to share their love for the city

In addition to expats living in the city, HKTB is inviting international friends and fans of Hong Kong to become Hong Kong Super Fans. All share a common passion for Hong Kong’s timeless appeal and diverse attractions, forming a group of 220 distinguished fans that span continents, including Asia, Australasia, Europe, and the Americas.

Currently, featured members living in the city include Korean fashion designer Nikki Lee, Thai actress Nok “Nokky” Sikrin, and experienced Mainland Chinese talk show host and influencer Cocoa Zhou. Lee has lived in Hong Kong for a decade now and believes it to be one of the most dynamic cities in the world. She looks forward to showing her Korean friends around Hong Kong when travel resumes, ready to recommend the best beaches around the city for a lively Hong Kong-style barbeque.

Adding on to this, Sikrin praises the city for its diverse appeal, offering world-class shopping and dining with natural outdoor wonders only a short drive away. “I can’t wait for my friends and family to join me and explore Hong Kong after the pandemic,” she said. Seeing Hong Kong as a second home, Zhou expresses how she hopes to showcase more hidden gems to travellers and visitors to shine a light on a different side of the city.

Arthur de Villepin, art gallery owner and former French prime minister’s son, has been invited by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) to lead the initiative as one of the Hong Kong Super Fans, who will encourage his friends, families, and followers to visit the city when travel resumes. Having lived in the US, India, the UK, and with travel experience all over the world, de Villepin fell so deeply in love with Hong Kong that he made it his permanent home.

He has chosen the city as the home base for his art gallery, explaining that “Hong Kong has one of the strongest art scenes in Asia with so many art fairs and amazing international-standard galleries. I want to invite my friends from France to come to Hong Kong and enjoy its unique vibe.” He will be one of the many local hosts who will be taking online participants around the streets of Hong Kong and giving them a low-down on important traditions and customs of Chinese New Year.

Showing off his calligraphy skills in preparation for the launch of the tours, HKTB executive director Mr Dane Cheng said, “The Hong Kong Super Fans programme is an important and integral element of the HKTB’s tourism recovery plan. We expect that the first batch of visitors to return will be those who have an enduring love for Hong Kong and people with connections to the city.” He remains hopeful that the passion the Super Fans share for Hong Kong can help to spread a positive buzz, and that their endorsement can encourage visitors from worldwide to head to Hong Kong once cross-border travel resumes.

For an even more immersive experience in traditional Lunar New Year customs, virtual tours will bring visitors on a journey through the Man Mo Temple in Central, a feng shui décor store in Lascar Row, a fai chun (揮春; Chinese festive couplet) stand on Shin Hing Street, and a traditional candied fruit shop. Further journeys can be arranged with media representatives stationed in the Mainland, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Europe, and the Americas.