Hong Kong's Tourism on the Rise: A Look Ahead to ITE 2025!

HONG KONG, December 5, 2024 — Mark your calendars! The highly anticipated ITE Hong Kong 2025, featuring both the 39th ITE Leisure Travel and the 20th ITE MICE, is gearing up to take place from June 12 to 15 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. This event has been designated as a Mega Event by the government, showcasing the city's revitalized tourism sector.

In 2019, Hong Kong was Asia's fourth-largest market by international tourism expenditure. Fast forward to 2023, and the city’s outbound tourism spending has remarkably bounced back to 84% of pre-pandemic levels, totaling an impressive US$22.7 billion. Departures also increased, reaching 77% of previous numbers at about 72.2 million. Industry experts are highlighting this as a significant and high-quality recovery, where spending is surging ahead of departure rates. However, the recovery of outbound package tours remains sluggish, lagging at approximately half of what it was before the pandemic.

ITE 2024 marked the event's fourth physical edition post-COVID, continuing to occupy the same five halls as in 2019 and boasting a globally diverse exhibitor lineup. Notably, 46% of trade buyers hailed from outside Hong Kong, with public attendees predominantly comprising premium Free Independent Travelers (FITs). A recent survey revealed that 59% of these travelers plan to boost their travel budgets in 2024, signaling a vibrant yet discerning market emerging in the tourism landscape.

Remarkably, over 70% of ITE trade visitors are from the Greater Bay Area, a dynamic economic region boasting a combined GDP of USD 1.97 trillion and a population of 86 million, including major cities like Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. Interestingly, departures from Hong Kong surged by 52% to reach 85.1 million in the first ten months of 2024, emphasizing the optimistic trajectory of the city's travel sector.

The ITE event isn't just about networking; it also features effective B2B and B2C programs, including Buyer Meetings, Industry Forums, and networking opportunities with key opinion leaders. In fact, the 2024 edition of ITE saw around 7,000 visitors attend approximately 80 seminars on public days, highlighting the event's importance as a hub for commerce and learning in the tourism sector.

Looking forward to ITE 2025, organizers are keeping space and booth rental costs the same as in 2019 and are extending a generous 10% early payment discount to all exhibitors if they finalize payment by January 31, 2025.

Supported by the Ministry of Culture & Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and the Travel Industry Council, ITE aims to propel Hong Kong’s tourism recovery and will serve as an essential platform for industry stakeholders to thrive.

Stay tuned for more updates and details on ITE 2025!