West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and Citybus team up to boost HK's cultural tourism

Citybus and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) have inked deal to help boost Hong Kong's cultural tourism and enhance the city's reputation as a world-class cultural destination.

This collaboration, the first of its kind between WKCDA and a public transportation organisation, leverages Citybus’ comprehensive network and focuses on promotional efforts and joint initiatives that aim to support the sustained growth of cultural tourism.

The partnership between Citybus and WKCDA unites two organisations committed to enriching Hong Kong’s cultural and tourism landscape. WestK, as the city’s flagship arts and cultural hub, showcases Hong Kong’s passion for arts, culture, and creativity, while Citybus plays a vital role in connecting communities and enhancing accessibility. This collaboration aims to strengthen connectivity to WestK and elevate the visitor experience.

Citybus’ comprehensive network, including Hong Kong City Sightseeing open-top bus tours featuring multiple routes such as the H1S HK Art Discovery, H2 Cultural Route and H2K Night Scene Hong Kong, alongside over 70 urban and cross-harbour routes serving the WestK area, ensures seamless connectivity for visitors. This collaboration will leverage Citybus’ robust infrastructure and unique network of customer touchpoints-comprising an expansive bus fleet, bus shelters, bus stops and dedicated workforce-to drive more visitation to WestK.

The joint initiatives include bundled tourism products that combine Citybus’ services with WestK’s cultural offerings, optimised bus routes, and improved wayfinding. The partnership also explores new energy solutions to support Hong Kong’s sustainability goals, further positioning WestK as a global cultural destination. The collaboration also emphasises joint promotional efforts to highlight WestK’s attractions, including digital and physical campaigns, onboard announcements.

As part of the collaboration, both sides will roll out the first round of promotion to kick off the partnership before the Golden Week starting 1 May. During the promotion period, from 25 April to 13 July, tourists can enjoy a 10% discount on M+ and Hong Kong Palace Museum designated tickets by presenting their Citybus+ Sightseeing Passes at the museum ticketing counters.

At the same time, tourists who subscribe to the WestK e-newsletter will not only receive the latest arts and culture updates from WestK but also enjoy a more than 35% discount on the original price of Citybus+ Dayrider Sightseeing Pass, providing them with greater convenience when traveling to WestK and other arts and culture destinations. More joint promotions, such as product bundles on different ticketing platforms, will be introduced in the future.

Together, Citybus and WKCDA aim to foster deeper connections between residents, tourists, and Hong Kong’s vibrant arts and cultural attractions. This partnership reflects a shared vision to promote creativity, accessibility, and sustainability in cultural tourism, benefiting the community, supporting the broader economy, and enhancing Hong Kong’s position as a global cultural hub.

Responding to media at the ceremony, Citybus managing director Richard Hall (pictured third right) said: “By leveraging our comprehensive bus network, we will not only promote the attractions within the West Kowloon Cultural District, but also the broader cultural landscape of Hong Kong, making it easier for everyone to discover our city’s artistic treasures." He also added that the current offerings were just the start of the long-term partnership.

“We are very honoured and express our sincere gratitude to WKCDA for their trust and support in beginning this strategic partnership. It represents a significant step forward for us to contribute even more to the tourism sector in Hong Kong, supporting the growing arts and cultural hub that integrates Chinese and Western culture," he added.

"In recent years, we have established Citybus’ role as a key player in the tourism sector with our Open Top Sightseeing Buses being the key connector for many venues and areas of the tourism industry and this collaboration reaffirms that we are continuing paving the best way forward for our business and for the whole of Hong Kong. We look forward to utilising our extensive bus network, along with our renowned Hong Kong City Sightseeing open-top tours, serving as a mobile promotional tool on the streets of Hong Kong, to bring more visitors to this destination and offer the best value to all visitors," Hall added.

Betty Fung (pictured third left), CEO of the WKCDA, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Citybus to jointly promote arts and culture, and cultural tourism. Citybus is the first land transport partner of the West Kowloon Cultural District. Through Citybus’ extensive transportation network, combined with WestK’s exciting programme offerings and its vibrant and arts-filled harbourfront, we aim to provide visitors with a diverse and convenient tourism experience. We hope this collaboration will attract more visitors to WestK to enjoy a one-of-a-kind cultural experience. Furthermore, we believe that this cross-sector collaboration between culture and transport can serve as an example blueprint for breaking traditional boundaries and innovating together to enhance cultural tourism.”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Citybus for more information.

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