*HKTB defines 2006 as the Hong Kong Travel Year to attract more Japanese tourists

Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) recently announced to have defined a year of 2006 as the 2006 Hong Kong Travel Year, for which it will begin full-scale promotional activities in Japan from the second half of FY2005. At the same time, HKTB has revised upward the estimated growth rate of Japanese visitors for 2005 from initially 4% to 14% in comparison with 2004, aiming at 1,283,925 Japanese visitors annually.

This Week Headline
*HKTB defines 2006 as the Hong Kong Travel Year to attract more Japanese tourists
+HKTB hopes to welcome more Japanese from local regions
+55,000 rooms will be available by 2007
*TA starts the "Brand Australia" campaign in Japan
*ANA Sales defines senior, China, FIT and web sales as keywords for further growth
+Promoting a campaignto send 150,000 customers to China by FY2007
*JAL admits a series of the mishaps resulted from low awareness for safe operation
*Japan welcomed 17.8% more foreign visitors for 2004
*JAT expects to join the Haneda International PTB project
*The Ministry announces a PFI plan for Haneda international PTB
*More than 15 million passengers used Kansai through FY2004
*Narita feeder flights keep high load factors