Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa on Friday urged all members of the community to help spread the news that Hong Kong is safe to visit by sending special "Hello from Hong Kong" postcards and e-cards to their family, friends and business contacts around the world.
The "Hello from Hong Kong" postcard campaign is the latest of the many initiatives taken to enhance international awareness of the fact that both the World Health Organization and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention have lifted their travel advisories against Hong Kong.
To convey the message that the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been contained, the government is undertaking a number of international outreach efforts as part of the Economic Relaunch program.
Advertisements have been placed in major newspapers throughout Asia, Europe, Australia and, most recently, the United States to highlight the removal of the travel advisories.
Joined by representatives of various sectors of the public at Friday's launch of the postcard campaign, Tung said such support demonstrated once again the unity of the community, as evident in our fight against SARS.
The postcards feature the Hong Kong skyline, faces of Hong Kong people and the campaign theme "Hello from Hong Kong" on the front. The back of the card carries the message that the travel advisories have been lifted and Hong Kong remains vigilant in its efforts to keep the community safe.
The postcards are postage pre-paid and will available at 39 philatelic offices and Discovery Bay Post Office of Hong Kong Post and all District Offices from Saturday.
To support the international outreach efforts, Hong Kong's fixed and mobile telephone network operators have agreed to provide every registered customer with one free five-minute international direct dial (IDD) phone call to 12 destinations between 00:00 and 23:59 hours on Sunday, June 15. The companies are CM Tel (HK) Ltd., CSL, New World Mobility, PCCW Limited, PEOPLES and SUNDAY.
(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2003)
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