Slick new Cathay Pacific in-flight safety video with taste of Hong Kong wins plaudits but will tourists bite?

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.

“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.