By Hans Ebert
@hanseberthk

Disneyland and Ocean Park, supposedly two of the most popular tourist destinations in the city didn’t make it, but the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Sha Tin racecourse, and, especially its Happy Wednesday brand at Happy Valley, were recently awarded a 2017 Certificate Of Excellence by the hugely popular global website TripAdvisor.

What makes this award special is that it’s for two racetracks that according to TripAdvisor, the largest tourist site in the world with over 500,000 visitors, have received over 2000 positive comments, more than enough to give two thumbs up that these locations are a Must See/Must Do when in Hong Kong, especially to see what makes a Happy Wednesday a Happy Wednesday.

These are not racetrack Charlies armed with data, reams of analysis and understanding the quirks of every horse. These are tourists who’ve heard about racing in Hong Kong, especially the racing entertainment served up at every Happy Wednesday night, and want to see what it’s all about- magic men on horseback from Brazil and all parts of the world, samba dancers, ‘live’ music, fashionistas, and all the fun and international appeal of the Beer Garden.

At the end of the day, what does it all mean? A whole new customer segment who have embraced the edutainment and excitement of a Happy Wednesday, and who will fill in the blanks in their own time and in their own way. It’s consumer generated content at its most real and horse racing keeping up with the times. The timing couldn’t be better.