HONG KONG, 10 October 2024 – Hong Kong’s outbound travel market is witnessing a robust recovery, with residents spending approximately USD 22.7 billion on travel in 2023 and making 72.2 million trips—marking an impressive return to 84% and 77% of pre-pandemic levels, respectively, according to the organizers of the ITE Hong Kong travel show.
A recent survey conducted after ITE Hong Kong 2024 highlighted that in the first eight months of 2024, Hong Kong residents made 67.6 million outbound departures, reflecting a significant 58.4% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Historically, Hong Kong’s annual spending on outbound travel reached USD 26 billion, positioning the city among Asia’s top four travel markets.
The 2024 edition of ITE Hong Kong featured over 80 travel seminars across two public days, engaging participants from five continents and attracting more than 8,500 attendees. The event also showcased 515 exhibitors during its trade days, drawing 7,000 buyers and industry visitors. Notably, over 70% of these visitors hailed from the Greater Bay Area (GBA), which encompasses Hong Kong SAR, Macau, and major Chinese cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou. In 2023, the GBA reported a combined GDP of USD 1.97 trillion and a population of 86 million.
ITE’s public days attracted 63,000 travel consumers, primarily free independent travelers (FITs). Survey results indicated that nearly 45% of respondents had booked outbound holidays three times or more in the first half of 2024, with this trend expected to continue in the latter half. Additionally, the survey revealed that the audience was well-educated, with 51% holding university degrees and 60% expressing intentions to increase their travel expenditure.
Looking ahead, ITE Hong Kong 2025 is scheduled to take place from June 12 to 15 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, co-locating with the 39th ITE (Leisure) and the 20th ITE MICE. The event will follow a successful format featuring two trade days followed by two days dedicated to travel consumers. This setup provides a strategic platform to connect with trade visitors from the Greater Bay Area and premium travelers from Hong Kong.
Organized by TKS Exhibition Services Ltd, ITE receives support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, with the Hong Kong Tourism Board as a core supporter. To further stimulate tourism recovery, the exhibition has maintained its raw booth space rental prices at 2019 levels.
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