Malaysia
Ariff Communications Retains Hong Kong Tourism Board Malaysia Mandate Through 2028: Malaysian public relations agency Ariff Communications has secured a two-year extension of its communications mandate with the Hong Kong Tourism Board, reinforcing a successful partnership that will now continue through 2028.
The renewed appointment follows the agency’s selection in 2025 to strengthen Hong Kong’s positioning among Malaysian travellers through integrated public relations, media engagement, influencer collaborations, and strategic storytelling. The extension reflects the tourism board’s confidence in Ariff Communications’ ability to enhance destination awareness and drive visitor interest in the Malaysian market.
Established in 2017, Ariff Communications has evolved into a multidisciplinary public relations and social media agency, serving clients across tourism, aviation, hospitality, automotive, finance, logistics, technology, food and beverage, and consumer industries.
Over the past year, the agency has executed a series of destination marketing campaigns highlighting Hong Kong’s diverse travel experiences. Campaigns promoted Muslim-friendly tourism, family vacations, youth culture, photography, nightlife, value-focused travel, and seasonal experiences such as Summer Viva and Halloween, helping position Hong Kong as an attractive year-round destination for Malaysian visitors.
According to Ariff Communications, these initiatives contributed to a 6% year-on-year increase in visitor arrivals from Malaysia to Hong Kong in 2025 compared with 2024.
Among its most successful campaigns was “Jelajah Hong Kong” (Tour Hong Kong), which earned industry recognition for effectively engaging Muslim travellers through authentic storytelling and practical travel guidance. The campaign coincided with Hong Kong’s outstanding performance in the 2026 Global Muslim Travel Index, where the destination ranked No. 1 as the Muslim-friendly Accessible Travel Destination (Non-OIC) and secured second place in both the Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year (Non-OIC) and Muslim Women Friendly Travel Destination (Non-OIC) categories.
Commenting on the renewed partnership, Aisya Hashim emphasized the importance of strategic communications in making destinations resonate with diverse audiences.
“Our work with the Hong Kong Tourism Board has been especially meaningful because it reflects what we believe good communications should do: make a destination feel relevant to them,” she said.
She added that the recognition received by the Hong Kong Tourism Board reflects not only the agency’s efforts but also its broader work in connecting with Malaysian Muslim travellers, families, Generation Z explorers, value-conscious tourists, and lifestyle-focused audiences.
The renewed mandate underscores Ariff Communications’ continued focus on integrating earned media, social storytelling, and audience insights to build stronger connections between destinations and travellers across multiple consumer segments.
The extension also comes as the Hong Kong Tourism Board continues to strengthen its communications presence across Asia and the Middle East. Earlier this year, the tourism authority initiated a search for a new public relations and social media agency to manage its Middle East communications under a one-year contract running from April 2026 to April 2027.
With the renewed appointment, Ariff Communications is expected to continue playing a key role in promoting Hong Kong as one of the leading international travel destinations for Malaysian tourists while supporting the tourism board’s broader regional growth strategy.
