Some 150 travel requests had to be dealt with within three to four days, requiring a dedicated team of staff from the Tourism Commission, Hong Kong Tourism Board and Tsim Sha Tsui branch office of China Travel Services (CTS).

Our team had to grapple with many teething problems, one of which was simply to communicate with the visitors, especially those in Lady MacLehose Holiday Village. We solved this problem by sending two Tourism Commission staff to contact the visitors in person.

Then, as the situation in the village improved, the telephone system at the Metropark Hotel Wanchai broke down for two hours, considerably adding to the team’s stress as we were competing against time.

Due to the quarantine, the visitors’ original travel itineraries had to be changed. As we expected, they came up with all sorts of requests, ranging from flight re-scheduling, destination and airline changes, upgrading, excess baggage allowance, compensation and so forth.

As some of the requests could not be met, the team had to tactfully say ‘no’ on occasions, trying to calm them and suggesting other alternatives. Some visitors were not satisfied initially, but became more agreeable after the team’s repeated explanations.

Another challenge was that some visitors frequently changed their mind about various things, which meant abortive work and additional liaison with the visitors and airlines within limited time.

In addition to travel arrangements, the Tourism Commission also helped to put together a hospitality package, comprising a generous gift pack and two complimentary hotel nights.

In less than 24 hours, a team of Tourism Commission staff prepared some 400 gift packs consisting of nearly 10,000 items. The process involved considerable liaison and arrangements with various parties, including tourist attractions, travel agencies, retailers, hotels, transport and communication corporations, and entertainment companies, again within a very tight schedule.

In parallel, another Tourism Commission team was tasked with arranging complimentary hotel accommodation for some 170 visitors.

Despite the fact that these guests would have completed the seven-day quarantine, hotels were generally circumspect in receiving them. It was particularly challenging when the media descended on the appointed hotels, scrambling for the best vantage points and photo spots.

Finally, following plenty of advice and assistance in media marshalling, the hotels even made special welcoming arrangements to showcase Hong Kong’s hospitality to our visitors.

Thanks to the dedication and professionalism of each and every team member, as well as the generous contributions of our major tourist attractions and corporations, the exercise concluded with many smiling faces and words of appreciation from visitors.

This was a most memorable experience for the Tourism Commission and we were proud to be part of the operation.