Old Town Central: turn a district into routes people can follow

Read the campaign story

A neighbourhood can contain many interesting places yet remain difficult for a visitor to understand as a destination. Old Town Central organised Hong Kong’s Central and Sheung Wan districts into thematic ways of exploring heritage, art, food and local life. The editorial challenge was one of navigation as much as persuasion: help people decide where to begin and what connects the stops, rather than simply declaring that a district has hidden gems.

The Hong Kong government’s account dates the programme’s launch to April 2017. The Tourism Board developed themed walking routes, guidebooks and maps, and worked with trade partners on guided tours. Local personalities and long-time expatriates helped introduce the area. Later creative coverage credited Grey Group Hong Kong with art-inspired QR codes connecting physical locations to online route information. The campaign repackaged existing attractions; it did not create the neighbourhood’s history or confer ownership of its culture.

Distribution combined printed materials, a dedicated webpage, mobile access, public relations and on-location decoration. The Central-Mid-Levels escalator and walkway carried campaign treatment, while later temporary signage provided additional information through QR codes. The government account distinguishes stages of the programme, including signage arrangements after the original launch. This study does not present every later installation as if it had been in place in April, nor assume that historical routes remain unchanged today.

The mechanism reduces the work required to turn interest into an outing. Themes help visitors select an experience, and maps provide a sequence they can actually follow. Physical cues can then connect discovery on the street with deeper digital information. This is an editorial interpretation, not proof that a QR code caused longer stays. Residents, accessibility, business opening hours and the capacity of narrow streets remain important parts of a usable route, even when a campaign photograph makes exploration look effortless.

Official reporting includes distribution and page-view totals, but those measures do not independently establish additional visits, spending or resident benefit. The strongest transferable lesson is to design the service behind the destination promise: orientation, accurate information and a manageable route. A smaller organisation can apply that principle with permission from participating places and clear updates. It should avoid presenting private or fragile spaces as attractions, and it should distinguish promotional curation from a complete or authoritative account of a community.

Design the next step

Give visitors a starting point, sequence and practical information, not just inspiration.

Maintain route accuracy

Treat opening hours, access and changing conditions as part of the experience.

Respect the neighbourhood

Consider residents and site capacity before promoting a hidden location widely.

A small test for another brief

Create a permission-based walking guide for three public-facing local venues.

Measure successful route completion and information accuracy.

Stop if a location objects or the route creates access or crowding problems.

• Confirm participation, access and current hours with venue owners.
• Build a short route around one clear theme with an accessible alternative.
• Test the guide with consenting adults and record navigation problems.