Hong Kong Tourism Board appoints Cindy Gilbert to lead marketing for ANZ and South Pacific

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has appointed Cindy Gilbert as senior manager, marketing and public relations for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Based in Sydney and reporting to HKTB regional director Karen Macmillan, Gilbert will lead consumer marketing and PR strategies to promote Hong Kong as a world-class leisure destination across key regional markets.

Gilbert brings extensive travel industry experience to the role, with senior positions at Emirates, Royal Caribbean and CAPA – Centre for Aviation. She has a track record in brand and campaign development, with expertise in integrated marketing and partnerships.

“As an avid traveller, Hong Kong represents the best of all things travel - food, culture, events, style and the great outdoors,” Gilbert said. “With its fascinating duality - East meets West, old meets new, chic meets street, city meets nature - there’s always something new to explore. I look forward to bringing my expertise to HKTB to build on the destination’s growth and appeal in this region.”

Her appointment comes as visitor arrivals from Australia and New Zealand show strong momentum, with a 33% year-on-year increase from Australia and 35% from New Zealand in the first half of 2025.

Gilbert succeeds Jess Rowden, who returned to Ireland earlier this year after nearly eight years with HKTB, during which time she oversaw a series of initiatives to boost Hong Kong’s tourism profile in the region.