NEWS
HONG KONG AND BORDEAUX RENEWED PACT TO BOOST WINE TOURISM
By Staff Reporter
1-7-2026
Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding, renewing their long-standing partnership to strengthen wine tourism, gastronomic exchange and cross-border trade collaboration until 2031.
Formalised in a signing ceremony held in Bordeaux on 11 May 2026, the agreement was endorsed by senior officials from both parties, alongside Hong Kong’s cultural and tourism authorities and local municipal representatives.
Building on their collaboration dating back to 2009, the renewed framework shifts from sporadic event cooperation to structured, long-term strategic development targeting high-value tourism and expanded Asian market penetration for Bordeaux wines.
The partnership centres on five key operational priorities. First, it will elevate Hong Kong’s flagship Wine & Dine Festival, scheduled for late October 2026 at Central Harbourfront. Bordeaux will scale up its pavilion presence, hosting over 50 châteaux, professional winemaker masterclasses and exclusive Michelin-paired wine dinners.
Second, the two organisations will launch joint cross-border marketing campaigns across Greater China, Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea, reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as Asia’s premium fine wine hub and Bordeaux’s position as a benchmark for luxury wine production.
Other core initiatives include public wine education programmes and immersive consumer tasting experiences, professional training exchanges for Hong Kong’s sommeliers, hoteliers and F&B practitioners, and enhanced B2B trade connectivity.
The deal will leverage Hong Kong’s zero-duty policy and bonded warehouse infrastructure to streamline Bordeaux’s re-export supply chain for ASEAN markets, while facilitating cultural exchanges at Bordeaux’s annual Fête le Vin festival.
Solidifying Hong Kong’s pivotal role in Bordeaux’s global layout, trade data confirms the city stands as Bordeaux’s third-largest export market worldwide, with an average bottle value of €34 — substantially higher than most Western consumer markets.
Hong Kong’s duty-free trading ecosystem has long served as a critical transshipment gateway for premium Bordeaux vintages distributed across Southeast Asia.
“Our 17-year partnership with Bordeaux has cemented Hong Kong’s reputation as Asia’s leading wine and gastronomy destination,” said Dr Peter Lam, Chairman of HKTB.
“This five-year MoU creates sustainable momentum to attract quality tourists and deepen regional wine trade ties.”
Philippe Tapie, Vice President of CIVB, highlighted Hong Kong’s irreplaceable strategic advantages. “Hong Kong’s free-trade environment, mature tourism infrastructure and diverse dining scene offer unrivalled access to Asia’s premium consumers. This long-term alliance will build lasting market influence beyond one-off promotional events.”
Industry observers note the renewed cooperation comes amid robust summer tourism growth in Hong Kong.
Premium Bordeaux wines and limited-edition gift sets have recorded double-digit week-on-week sales growth at airport duty-free and luxury retail channels, while local hotels and bars are rolling out custom Bordeaux-Cantonese pairing menus to cater to rising demand for refined wine experiences.
Moving forward, the five-year partnership will further consolidate Hong Kong’s position as ASEAN’s core fine wine import and distribution hub, unlocking sustained market growth for Bordeaux wines across Asia through integrated tourism, education and trade development.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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