Peak Week

Working for the Hong Kong Tourism Board is pretty awesome…it’s like doing PR on one giant vacation. I spend all day talking and learning about everything wonderful that is HK: cultural attractions, landmarks, entertainment, art, beaches and hiking, markets and shopping, dining, nightlife, history, etc…and I then I selfishly take all these tidbits with me at the end of the day, back to my classmates, so we can get the most out of our brief time here.

The HKTB might not know it, but they spoil me rotten. They give me assignments to research the trendiest new restaurants, shops, exhibitions, spas and nightclubs for the monthly newsletter. Hong Kong Food and Wine Year launched mere months before I joined the HKTB, and is the campaign I am most actively involved with – a match made in heaven. Two weeks ago I accompanied a local media tour to The 8th Estate Winery, the first ever winery in Hong Kong, for a private tour and tasting.

As I said, it feels like one giant, self-indulgent vacation. Work = play.

This past week, I got to spend every day atop Victoria Peak, assisting at the HKTB’s Visitor Services there. The Peak, rising 1,811 feet above central Hong Kong, is the number one tourist attraction in HK, and for good reason. Victoria Peak is the iconic, majestic backdrop of the entire city, which is built up around the naturally mountainous, tropical landscape of the island. Getting to the top of the Peak involves a ride on the Peak Tram, constructed in 1888 –a rickety and romantic ride at a steep 45 degree angle up the side of the mountain. Victoria Peak rewards visitors with its hiking trails, waterfalls and stunning views of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Victoria Harbour and the outlying islands. It’s where the British governors used to have their lavish homes, and where HK’s rich and famous today have their city oases in the sky. And of course, in typical Hong Kong fashion, property developers have managed to build a tacky, flashy, oh-so-touristy shopping galleria atop the Peak. (Madame Tussauds and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, anyone?)

HKTB Visitor Services atop the Peak is stationed in an old Peak Tram car, renovated into an information center. The HKTB officers and executives who work there are, in my opinion, superhuman. They politely handle rowdy children (antique tram car = giant toy train), they don’t get irritated by blinding camera flashes (antique tram car = excellent photo opportunity), and they spend all day answering all manner of inquiries (hundreds of visitors = hundreds of bizarre questions). They do their job not only with a smile, but with honest enthusiasm and real passion to help visitors enjoy HK. More than that, they know everything. I mean everything. They’re walking-talking-encyclopedias of HK information. They’ve memorized bus routes, hiking trails, transportation fares, hotel addresses, restaurant menus, current art exhibit listings, and they even know the smallest details of organized tours by companies not even affiliated with the HKTB. The group of them speak Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and even a little Japanese, Korean and French. Cathy, Wing, Ling, Arthur, Ashley, Prima, Alice and Carina could run the world…and do so in spiffy outfits, no less.

Working at the Peak was a really great experience, as it enabled me to see the integrated operations of the HKTB, from point-of-contact with tourists to development of PR programs in the head office. Equally beneficial, I got to learn even more about HK, and through connecting with visitors, get more ideas of what I want to explore while I am here. My coworkers also provided me with great recommendations for day trips, dining, and nights out. Arthur even taught me some useful Cantonese. Work or play…it all seems to be a package deal with the HKTB -- “Hong Kong: Live it. Love it!”

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