“Depressing propaganda!” Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins’ Hong Kong tourism ads under fire
Hong Kong ex-pats living in Australia have called out Hong Kong Tourism Boards new ad campaign promoting Aussie tourism to the Chinese-controlled island, saying it ignores systemic human rights abuses.
Yesterday, a trio of ads dropped starring ex-Wallaby Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins and his adventures in Hong Kong. The ads are for HKTB and you can read Travel Weekly’s original reporting HERE.
The ads have now caught the ire of former Hong Kong residents living in Australia who believe they trivialise the province’s human rights abuses, the pro-Beijing government’s crackdown on pro-democracy leaders, media censorship and the jailing of political figures.
The ads are the work of Sydney-based agency Always Human. Travel Weekly has contacted both the agency for comment, however have not received an official reply yet.
Cummins has not spoken publicly on the ads or controversy.
The ads were first called out by Jane Poon, a former magazine editor who now lives in Melbourne and runs the Australia-Hong Kong Link.
“What he is doing is endorsing a government that is violating human rights,” Poon told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“The people of the city are actually struggling because of what the government is doing. By taking these jobs celebrities are endorsing a government that is condemned by the international community.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWhrrbUj9Ws&feature=youtu.be
Ted Hui, a former Hong Kong legislator now living in Australia, added: “I have sympathy for those businesses, especially the small businesses. But the ads are treating Hong Kong as if nothing has happened.
“It’s not business as usual at all. It’s a very depressing situation Hong Kong is experiencing,” he said.
Hui did ad that, as an athlete and TV celebrity, it probably wasn’t Cummins’ job to speak out politically but said it was “disappointing to see anyone being a part of Beijing’s or the Hong Kong regime’s propaganda”.
A spokesperson from HKTB said that the content was produced in January 2020, but was put on pause due to the global pandemic and that it “intended to showcase the destination’s diverse experiences.”
The ads are part of a campaign by the HKTB to promote tourism post-COVID and were reportedly filmed prior to the pandemic back in 2020.
Other critics of the ads have noted that they feature places and restaurants that have since closed due to COVID restrictions that caused tourism and foot traffic to grind to a halt.
The Cummins campaign is scheduled to run between October 5 and November 28. It also follows a recent out of home campaign that featured in Sydney and Melbourne from the Hong Kong government declaring a “new era” of “stability, prosperity and opportunity” for the global financial hub and the 25th anniversary of Britain’s handover of the city to Beijing.
When they first appeared, the billboards sparked a backlash from Australia’s Hong Kong diaspora community.
Local community groups petitioned to have the billboards removed arguing they contravened Ad Standards’ code of ethics.
Disturbed to see a billboard in my electorate glorifying Hong Kong's supposed "new era" after the brutal crackdown on democracy activists and civil society. It is a cruel reminder of the rights and freedoms that Hong Kongers have lost in their home city and should be taken down. pic.twitter.com/7mVt54qAdc
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) August 9, 2022
In mid-August, even Greens leader Adam Bandt called for the billboards to be taken down.
Bandt tweeting at the time: “Disturbed to see a billboard in my electorate glorifying Hong Kong’s supposed ‘new era’ after the brutal crackdown on democracy activists and civil society.”
It’s understood that Ad Standards did not act on the complaints.
Commenting on the Cummins’ ads, director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board Australia and New Zealand, Karen Macmillan, said in a release to Travel Weekly: “The video series shows the incredible variety of experiences you can do in Hong Kong and really captures its distinctly East meets West vibe.
“Nick was the perfect person for this campaign – not only because of his long-standing relationship with Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Sevens, but his infectious larrikin persona and adventurous spirit made him an obvious choice to bring the stories of some of our own local legends to life. This campaign is the ideal entrée for Aussies tuning into the return of the Hong Kong Sevens from 4-6 November following a couple of years of Covid cancellations.”
CEO of Always Human, Josh White, said of the work, “We had a lot of fun producing this campaign for the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Aussies have been craving to get back to Hong Kong, and what better inspiration than having the Honey Badger bringing to life the magnitude of different experiences you can have there.”
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
hktb Honey Badger hong kong hong kong tourism board Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins Nick CumminsLatest News
Collette goes off the beaten track with Canyon Country tour
To be clear TW is not advocating actually walking off the beaten track. Avoid the coyotes. Stay on the beaten track.
Intrepid & Korean Tourism Organisation team up to give agents a cooking masterclass
These guys learnt that Korean cooking is more than just putting kimchi on 2-minute noodles (as we once thought).
Winner, winner! Intrepid reveals the 9 lucky agents that won $2k
Who won the incentive? Which Intrepid trip will they spend it on? What day of the week is it again? Where am I? Huh?
Corporate Traveller reports 42% increase in Easter traffic this year
Business travellers just love Easter! Expect plenty of chocolate stained documents returning to the office on Tuesday.
Turbulent year wiped $384m off Qantas brand value: Report
Meanwhile, eating tuna at your desk can damage your own personal office brand value by several thousand dollars.
FAMIL: Room-Res & Singapore Tourism Board shows agents the Lion City’s roar
Click this article to see a man very impressed by a 20-layer chocolate cake. We're not kidding, he loved it!
Oceania Cruises offers sailors free pre-cruise hotel stay
Looking for ways to make your holidays as long as possible? Look no further.
Bonza launches new website to compliment app, agent portal
Does news about an airline's website fill you with ecstasy, glee and joy? Get your hit of the good stuff here.
MTA agents attends ‘Lunch ‘n’ Learn’ with AMA Waterways
When organising the event, Lunch 'n' Learn beat out Dinner 'n' Divulge and Breakfast 'n' Banter. Understandably so.
Travelmarvel reveals 2025 South America tours
If you spot any typos in the newsletter today it is because TW became distracted Googling images of Machu Picchu.
Tourists from 5 countries could be BANNED from visiting Australia
Anthony Albanese's immigration laws could impact tourism from certain countries.
Just how many passengers will Qantas & Jetstar hop around this Easter?
Airline workers are ready for gleeful Easter travellers! Also prepared for sticky children with chocolate on their face.
Air New Zealand gets ready for bumper Easter weekend
Air NZ gears up for travelling passengers this Easter, while TW looks to beat our egg eating record. 117 here we come!
Four Seasons Yachts reveals first itineraries to the Caribbean & Mediterranean
These trips look so good we wish there were five seasons! Alright, we'll see ourselves out...
FAMIL: Travellers Choice treats top agents to the wonders of Rotorua
This one's got plenty of famil pics and no one looks shockingly hungover in them! Clearly no TW staffers were there.
European Waterways celebrates 50th anniversary with week-long founders cruise
Plan on celebrating your 50th anniversary with a bottle of Moët and fairy bread? European Waterways has better ideas.
100th route! Jetstar celebrates the launch of Brisbane-Avalon with 12 hour sale
Jetstar knocks a ton and celebrates with a sale while TW once scored a ton and celebrated with about 17 beers.
Record-breaking year for NSW as visitor expenditure soars past $50 billion
Enjoy running round the Opera House? Be prepared to elbow even more tourists out the way.
Norwegian Cruise Line makes play for solo travellers
NCL ensuring you don't have to go trawling Tinder to find a cruise partner. Thank goodness, we were sick of catfishing.
Entire Travel Group’s Canada and Europe 2024/25 brochures are out now
Entire's new brochure is bittersweet; it both informs your clients and makes you envious of the holiday they'll take.
Malaysia Airlines adds 3 new destinations & A330neo seats
More seats means cheaper airfares and more money to spend on overpriced airport sandwiches. Woohoo!
Two divine days onboard Crystal Serenity
It's only pure serenity onboard this ship. Anxiety, agitation and anguish have been rejected by the bouncer.
How the Globus Family of Brands elevates coach touring: Travel Weekly TV with Chris Fundell
Chris' here so you don't think coaches mean peeling your thighs off a sticky leather seat every time you stand up!
The Flight Centre Foundation gears up for massive 2024 with 3 new board members
The foundation looks to invest $200k this year, spurring the TW journos to figure out how to qualify as a charity.
Barking Owl Communications to head up Anantara & Avani in ANZ
Fellow PR competitors had been barking up the wrong tree even thinking of bidding for this job!
Amex GBT to purchase CWT for $871m
It's big deals like this that get a firm handshake - hence the sore hands over at the CWT and Amex GBT offices.
1000MTG’s second global conference reminds agents to ‘strive and thrive’
Alongside messages to 'strive' and 'thrive' were those to 'survive', 'drive', 'arrive' and 'jive' (when appropriate).
Qantas A330 makes “loud bang”, pilots forced to shut down one engine
Qantas refusing to let Boeing have all the headlines in aviation world today!
GX Community Tourism Summit 2024 location revealed!
The new location has arrived and it'll blow your socks off! Time for another trip to Target for more socks then.
Visiting the destination my Mum didn’t want me to
Yet again, this journo has been a stress to his mother. Discover how this trip spurred his mother's anxiety here.
Agents come out of their shells at P&O’s turtle hatchery event
For some, it's a few glasses of bubbles to lure them out of their shell. For these agents, it was a bit more literal.
Boeing cleanout: CEO, chair to go as safety crisis plagues the manufacturer
CEOs are falling thick and fast these days. We should have started up a bingo game with their headshots in the office.
Virgin looks to swap MAX 10 order for MAX 8s amid Boeing delays: Reports
Virgin has changed its order for something smaller. Much like we have to at Maccas following a worrying doctor's visit.
Club Med unveils newest luxury yacht for 2024/25 early bird sale
This yacht is preserved for the early birds! Night Owls may also get onboard depending how late they stay up.
Abercrombie & Kent 2024 Asia Portfolio is here
Round up the family and get planning an Asia jaunt. Or, if they're hard to handle, brush them all and go it alone!
Elevate your earnings: Final days to secure double commission with Inspiring Vacations’ March offer
What could inspire you to sell more Inspiring Vacations? Double commission of course! That's all the inspiration needed.