The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has decided to earmark 10 million HK dollars (US$1.28 million) for publicity campaign via over 20 newspapers in a number of countries as of Friday.
Mike Rowse, director of InvestHK, was quoted by the South China Morning Post as saying Friday that the publicity campaign would kick off with advertisements in more than 20 international newspapers in Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Britain and France.
He said the first wave of advertising, which excludes North American, will tell readers that the World Health Organization's travel advisory on Hong Kong has been lifted and it is safe to come back.
Canada and the United States will be included once the US Centers for Disease Control lifts its travel warning.
The web site www.hklookingahead.gov.hk has also been established to allow people to send e-mail postcards to friends and relatives in other countries.
In a related development, world leaders heading for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Bangkok, Thailand in October will be invited to make a stopover in Hong Kong as part of the city's 1 billion HK dollars (US$128 million) campaign to rebuild its international image.
(Xinhua News Agency May 30, 2003)
