HKIA offers new ad formats targeting affluent Mainland travellers

Shirley Chan, general manager of JCDecaux Transport Hong Kong, said the number of Mainland Chinese tourists arriving in Hong Kong grew by about 25 per cent in 2010. She added that many clients from top international brands are asking about potential sponsorship and advertising opportunities at the airport.

A new multi-media 'experience zone' is now open on the seventh floor of the restricted (passengers only) area. With TV screens, internet access and interactive digital panels, Chan said there are a number of places and ways for marketers to promote their brands, products and services.

The airport is also developing a series of 'powerconnect' stations around boarding areas where passengers can connect their laptops, offering brands sponsorship opportunities.

A digital panel network with over 45 panels runs across the departure area, including the duty free zone, business lounge and boarding gate area. Current advertisers include Finnar, BNP Paribas, Guerlain, Shiseido and Hugo Boss eyewear.

One of the main developments is the 'Greater China network’ offering new advertising space in the North West, South West and North Satellite Concourses which have 10 dedicated arrival gates exclusively for Mainland flights, and the Sky Pier for Mainland travellers en-route to Macau and the Pearl River delta by ferries. Current advertisers include luxury brands like Dior and Tag Heuer.

Currently HKIA is the third largest and busiest airport in the world, after Heathrow Airport in London and Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, with passenger numbers in 2010 exceeding 50 million.

According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), arrivals from Mainland China in 2010 was 22.68 million, marking a 26 per cent increase from 2009.