HKTB appoints new Regional Director for Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced today the appointment of Mr Andrew Clark as Regional Director of Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific. Mr Clark will have overall leadership in developing and implementing the HKTB's marketing strategy in the Australian, New Zealand & South Pacific markets.

HKTB Executive Director Ms Clara Chong welcomed Mr Clark's appointment and said that he brought extensive marketing and industry experience to the position. "We are confident Mr Clark will make a valuable contribution to ensuring that the organisation is in an even stronger position to market Hong Kong and attract visitors from Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific," said Ms Chong.

Mr Clark is a seasoned marketing professional having spent nearly 15 years in the tourism industry both in Australia and Asia. He was previously General Manager, Marketing of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission of Australia. Prior to this Mr Clark held substantive positions with the Sydney Theme Park and Tourism New South Wales, based in Singapore.

Mr Clark succeeds Mr James Hall who has been with the HKTB since 1998. During Mr Hall's tenure,  he has implemented a number of marketing initiatives to strengthen the position of Hong Kong as a preferred travel destination among visitors in the region.

"It is a great regret to see the departure of James Hall," Ms Chong commented. "Under his leadership, visitor arrivals from Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific have maintained steady growth. For the first 11 months of 2002, arrivals from these markets grew by 5% to 370,289. We believe that Mr Clark's expertise can take the Australian, New Zealand & South Pacific achievements to further new heights."