Hong Kong Tourism Board seals 3-year deal with Art Basel to showcase city on world stage

“The collaboration with Art Basel underscores [the board’s] continuous efforts in promoting Hong Kong on the global stage,” executive director Dane Cheng Ting-yat said.

“By sharing the city’s unique character through immersive experiences on the world’s most prestigious art platform, we hope to inspire travellers to visit our city and discover its thriving creative community and rich cultural experiences.”

Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz also celebrated the agreement, saying that “by shining a global spotlight on Hong Kong’s vibrant art scene, this partnership will enhance the experience for our fair visitors, while unlocking new opportunities and fostering deeper connections between Hong Kong and art communities around the world”.

As a show partner, the board will take part in all four annual fairs over the next three years. The first will be Art Basel Paris, set to take place in October at the French capital’s Grand Palais.

A board spokesman said its Paris exhibit would be an “immersive Hong Kong-themed zone”, but details were still being discussed and had yet to be finalised.

At the most recent Hong Kong Art Basel in March, the board teamed up with the organiser to create a show on the city’s signature food and drinks – a cha chaan teng immersive exhibit.

Visitors were able to enjoy local delicacies such as pineapple buns, local-style French toast, milk tea and lemon tea amid the decor and neon signs of a traditional Hong Kong cafe.

The spokesman said the collaboration on that particular exhibit was what had inspired the new partnership.

“The cha chaan teng is a Hong Kong icon, which makes its appearance at Art Basel special,” she said.

Art Basel said its Hong Kong show at the Convention and Exhibition Centre received more than 75,000 visitors from around the world across three days allocated for VIPs and the public.

It was supported by a grant from the city’s Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund for the second year in a row, and was a highlight of the government’s “Art March” initiative.