Art Basel & Hong Kong Tourism Board: Rethinking Customer Experience Through a Novel Business Partnership

Art Basel, the prestigious global art fair, takes place in cities like Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris. It is where the world’s most affluent, elite art collectors converge.

In 2024, a new, novel partnership between Art Basel and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) emerged that would touch fairgoers in each of its cities with an immersive “cha chaan teng” café. Think pineapple buns, milk tea, and the vibrant culture of Hong Kong brought to life within an art fair.

Yes, it is marketing. But it’s also a master class in customer experience.

By offering a taste of Hong Kong’s rich culture, Art Basel would be adding depth to its art-focused event, engaging its visitors more deeply.

For HKTB, it was an opportunity to attract affluent travelers from abroad—those who might never have considered visiting.

How do partnerships like these shape customer experience? How can they change the way organizations think about global collaborations?

Sage Originals Business Cases recently published my peer-reviewed business case on the Art Basel-HKTB partnership. The case includes teaching notes for professors exploring customer experience, tourism destination marketing, and business partnerships in the classroom. If you’re interested, you can find the case study here. Sage offers a free trial for anyone interested.

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