A new Cathay Pacific Airways in-flight safety video, which interweaves protocols with Hong Kong cultural landscapes, may help to entice visitors to the city while also polishing up the carrier’s image, experts have said, but one observer has warned it requires more than a slick production to boost tourism.
The Hong Kong flag carrier’s six-minute video, which will be rolled out across all Cathay flights from Thursday and replaces one introduced more than seven years ago, showcases local landmarks, cultural attractions and natural landscapes as part of the city’s tourism drive.
Entertainment tycoon Allan Zeman said on Tuesday that the video was cleverly done to depart from old-fashioned storytelling while highlighting the diversity and vibrancy of the city’s landscapes, serving to attract tourists. It could benefit both local tourism and the company’s corporate image, he added.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
“Tourists really want to come so it just shows different parts of Hong Kong, tourist attractions like dai pai dong ... all these different things that make up the vibrancy of Hong Kong,” he said, referring to traditional street food stalls.
“The video will also reach millions of travellers all over the world so it shows how much importance Cathay attaches to safety. It shows that if you fly with Cathay, you can feel safe, not only that Hong Kong is exciting.”
Zeman added that the video could sway people planning a holiday to say to family members: “You know what, Hong Kong looks really exciting. Let’s take a trip. And now Cathay seems like a good airline.”
The video is a collaboration between Cathay, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Civil Aviation Department.
Scenes were shot at various locations across the city, transporting customers to a dai pai dong to get a taste of the local dining experience for the “no smoking” announcement followed by a life jacket demonstration against a thrilling dragon boat race.
Other spots include Shek O Beach, Causeway Bay, the Xiqu Centre at the West Kowloon Cultural District, the Peak Tram, Yau Ma Tei’s historic Tin Hau Temple and Clear Water Bay Country Park.
The video also urges passengers to keep their seat belts fastened even when the sign is off, in the wake of a Singapore Airlines flight in May that ended with one fatality and dozens injured after encountering serious turbulence.
Chris Kyme, co-founder and creative director of local creative agency Kymechow, said the video was much better than those produced by the Tourism Board, which had failed to come up with a strategy to counter Western misperceptions about the city.
But to successfully boost tourism and improve one’s image required more than good productions to change people’s perceptions, he warned.
“From a production perspective, the video is nicely filmed and it’s very professionally done,” he said.
“It’s always nice to see how Hong Kong is well presented but what’s been missing from the tourism campaigns is a strategy.
“Because international media always present it [Hong Kong] in a negative light ... what you need to do is come up with a strategy to counter that. You need to think of a platform that will change the way people look at Hong Kong.”
Kyme said Cathay, which has been hit by a series of negative reports, also needed good public relations strategies and crisis management to improve its image.
Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said the safety instructions were presented in a lively and entertaining way along with the city’s dynamic landscapes, which could attract tourists.
“The video will also help to enhance the safety awareness of passengers, particularly in the wake of recent turbulence incidents, which will really help improve the carrier’s corporate image,” he said.
“Hongkongers are really demanding of Cathay because it represents Hong Kong and so they have higher expectations of this airline.”
The city’s flag carrier has been hit by a series of flight incidents causing concerns over its standard of service.
The company was last week ordered by the Civil Aviation Department to investigate and submit a report on a junior pilot who failed an alcohol breath test just before he was scheduled to fly to Hong Kong from Sydney, which caused a lengthy delay to the flight.
The incident happened amid increased concern over the quality of Cathay’s cadet pilots after the carrier in late June removed three cadets from a training programme in the wake of three serious mistakes made at US-based training centre AeroGuard.
The company said it made its decision after the trio failed to comply with the requirements at the AeroGuard Flight Training Centre in Phoenix, Arizona.
In July, a Hong Kong woman, 76, aboard a London-bound Cathay Pacific Airways flight was injured after a piece of baggage fell from an overhead compartment and hit her on the head.
More from South China Morning Post:
- What is Cathay Pacific’s alcohol, drugs policy? Post looks at Hong Kong carrier’s manual
- Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific launches inquiry after video shows staff member throwing luggage
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2024.
