“Go See It All” with Go City’s Hong Kong pass

Wooing the Chinese market with Go City sightseeing passes, Silvana Leung, Regional Commercial Director, Greater China, APAC shares more about the business, the ‘wow’ Instagram post factor, diversified local attractions, and of course new food hot spots as as an added advantage of using the pass.

Brand TD: Please tell us a bit about Go City sightseeing passes. What is the best thing about being a part of the world’s largest sightseeing pass business?

Silvana Leung (SL): The best part of being part of the world’s largest sightseeing pass company is that we have a strong customer base and B2B network in North America and Europe. Go City may still be a new name to Hong Kong or this region, but the Greater China team is aggressively growing our exposure to Mainland Chinese customers. Go City’s products are now sold on major Chinese platforms such as WeChat mini program, Ctrip, Fliggy and Red. Go City can help Hong Kong and Macau attraction partners bring incremental visitations from Mainland Chinese customers as well as our long-haul customers.

Brand TD:  Do highlight for us the achievements of Go City’s marketing campaigns targeting key source markets like China and South Korea, including events such as Golden Week and 11.11

SL: Mainland China is one of the key source markets that we focused on in 2023. With the launch of our WeChat mini program and working closely with key B2B partners such as Ctrip and Fliggy, we have achieved great results for key promotional campaigns targeting the Chinese customers.

Golden Week and Double 11 represent two massive sales initiatives targeting the Mainland China market. We’ve witnessed remarkable sales expansion through our WeChat mini program and OTA partners, with a fivefold increase in passes sold during Golden Week sales from 2022 to 2023 and an trifold surge in passes sold during the Double 11 campaign in 2023 compared to 2022.

During 2023 Golden Week campaign, our pass sales growth on WeChat mini program surged by 4.6 times, accompanied by a 25% growth in average basket size and a lower refund rate compared to 2019. On 11/11 Single’s Day which is the equivalent of Black Friday in Mainland China, we also achieved the highest record in single day pass sales on WeChat mini program.

Besides Mainland China as a growth market, another key focus market for us last year was South Korea. Certain attractions, such as sky100, found that Go City is bringing a new group of South Korean customers to them compared to the pre-pandemic period, when our customer base primarily were the long-haul visitors. As we look ahead to 2024, we are determined to entice a greater number of long-haul and short-haul visitors to explore 30 destinations available through Go City.

Brand TD: Going forward kindly do share Go City’s plan in 2024 on expanding the range of attractions and activities available on the Hong Kong pass and any key events/ festivals in 2024.

SL: In 2024, we will expand the offering on the Hong Kong Pass by adding more local tours and experiences as well as some attractions and activities in Macau.

We will also be adding some add-on experiences for Go City Hong Kong Pass customers. From now until 25 February 2024, all Go City Hong Kong Pass users who have activated their passes will be able to get an exclusive 10% discount on tickets to the AIA Carnival at the Central Harbourfront!

Brand TD:  What remain the most popular attractions for tourists in Hong Kong? How does using Go City passes make it easier for customers?

SL: Besides the theme parks, we find that Big Bus Tours are popular for our customers. Big Bus’ Discover Tour is certainly convenient for our customers as it brings them to different neighborhoods to see different things. For example, customers can easily hop off Big Bus to take the Peak Tram and the Aberdeen 1773 sightseeing boat tour which are available on our pass. This is exactly how Go City makes it so easy and allows customers to “Go See It All” just on one pass.

Brand TD:  What trends do you foresee in the pass business in 2024? Which new attractions will be buzzing for all to visit in 2024?

SL: Traditionally, passes include mainly the top attractions in a destination. In 2024, I foresee the products available on our passes will become more diversified as there will be more unique local experiences as well as F&B offerings.

Being instagrammable will continue to be a big trend. I think West Kowloon is a great place to get all the instagrammable shots! sky100 is my secret place to watch sunset and iconic skyline of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour! Within a 5-minute walk, you’ll find M+ Museum. Its architecture makes it a great spot for photography and they have been running some special exhibitions. The green space in the district is also a great place to spend an afternoon by the waterfront. Don’t forget West Kowloon is also where our high speed rail station is located. Customers can easily walk over after getting off the train!

Last but not least, Hong Kong Disneyland is certainly another highlight as the World of Frozen has just opened late last year. Fans of Frozen cannot miss the new attractions!

Brand TD: As Go City remains a tech business that is shaping the future of the multi-attraction pass industry, what new innovations in technology has the company adopted in 2023? How is AI going to work for Go City in 2024?

SL: In 2023, we enhanced our website and apps with new innovative solutions such as:
1) Itinerary Planner – Customers now have the ability to effortlessly create their itineraries within the app, simplifying the process of planning their sightseeing adventures.
2) Easy Reservations – we introduced a unified reservation portal that enables customers to easily book certain attractions and tours, with the added convenience of modifying or cancelling reservations if plans change. For certain attractions like Hong Kong Disneyland, Universal Studios Singapore our portal allows customers to redeem e-tickets directly from the portal on the day of their visit, avoiding long entrance queues.
3) WeChat Mini Program – We also launched our WeChat Mini Program in Sept 2023, integrated with WeChat Pay, to facilitate the seamless discovery, purchase and use of our pass for Chinese customers with great offers as they embark on post-pandemic travel.

Looking ahead to 2024, we see significant opportunities for further expansion. As the impact of AI on shaping customer experiences continues to grow, particularly amid a shift in preferences towards convenient access to precise information, we are actively investigating the integration of AI to offer customized recommendations that align with individual preferences. Utilizing our vast repository of historical data and insights into sightseeing patterns, our goal is to elevate the overall satisfaction of our customers.