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ITE Hong Kong 2024, the city’s exclusive international travel fair, returns with a robust lineup of global exhibitors and diverse travel themes.
Comprising the 38th ITE (Leisure) and 19th MICE Travel Expo, ITE Hong Kong 2024 will be held from June 13 to 16 at Halls 1 of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) with the first two for trade and the last two for the public. Hong Kong’s only international travel fair, is again strongly supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Macao Government Tourism Office etc. as supporters.
ITE – Maintain Quality in Pandemic & Recovering Years
Physical ITE been held successfully each year since 2021. Despite few international flights, ITE2023 welcomed back regional buyers and trade visitors mainly from southern China; had 29% of its 59 exhibiting countries and regions from outside Asia; held over 80 cultural performances and seminars in public days; expensive flights mean exhibitors selling direct mainly to premium FIT who dominate Hong Kong outbound; and scale of mainland China the largest in ITE2023 and also bigger than in 2019. Overall, ITE2023 recovered to some 80% pre-pandemic!
ITE2024 will have new exhibitors from repeating official pavilions and private sectors from new exhibiting countries and regions like Bulgaria, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Marianas, Pakistan, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Turkmenistan and Zagreb. Also, ITE2024 will highlight new and repeating travel themes of Island Paradise, Study Tour, Sustainable, Ice & Snow Tourism, Night Markets and the Great Bay Area etc. thus getting even more attractive!
ITE 2019 vs 2023
| Key Statistic | Exhibitors | Trade Visitors | Premium FIT | |
| ITE 2019 | 675 (88%) | 11613 (37%) | 73665 | |
| ITE 2023 | 499 (90%) | 5932 (25%) | 55925 | |
| Notes: % in ( ) from abroad | ||||
ITE – A proven Platform attractive to Quality Visitors
To help exhibitors optimizing their presence, the organizer offers B2B (regional and local travel trade & corporations) and B2C (premium FIT) with optional and free services which can include assisting exhibitors to hold own trade seminar, panel displays or be listed in photo booth dedicated to some travel theme; and free time slots in the grand stage for cultural performances etc.
Last month Hong Kong airport saw passenger traffic back to 80% pre-pandemic, and fully recovery expected by end of 2024. With more flights, more package tours and other travel products available for selling also to ITE public visitors this year. Indeed, survey found them quality travelers, specifically, in coming year 68% to spend more on outbound travel and 38% take 3 or more outbound holidays.
Plenty of travel fun in ITE2024 – specially designed pavilions some with cultural elements, great varieties of travel products on display or for sale, photo booths, cultural performances, travel seminars, games in booths, mascot photo sessions, souvenirs, updated travel maps and more. With now little concern on covid-19, publicity will be stepped up to attract even more visitors.
Hong Kong a Quality and Fast Recovering Market
Hong Kong outbound recover strongly – from 1.7 million in January to 8.8 million in December, and departures for 2023 totaling 72 million which back to 76% pre-pandemic. Recovery sustainable too! A public survey with 4874 replies held last October and November in Hong Kong found 72% respondents to travel abroad in coming six months.
With 7.5 million people but spending US$26.9 billion on outbound in 2019, Hong Kong ranked Asia’s 3rd and World’s 12th largest market by total spending but much higher ranking by per capita spending. A report published in January this year say China has 2.11 million families with net worth at least RMB 10 million, and over 10% of them living in Hong Kong, which have 20705 such families per one million people thus some 50% higher than Beijing and doubled that of Shanghai.
A recent Asia Pacific skiing holiday survey found Hong Kong tourists, by spending an average of EUR558 per person per day, rank top spender. Their top skiing destinations are respectively Japan (39%), Switzerland (30%) and Canada (27%).
In 2019, ITE attended by over 3000 buyers and trade visitors from mainland China, majority from Greater Bay Area (the Bay) cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou in Guangdong! ITE also covers the Bay which in 2022 has total population of 86 million and GDP over RMB 13 trillion (US$ 1.8 trillion).
Pre-registering for Free Admission in Trade Days
Travel trade and professionals welcome pre-register online at www.itehk.com as Trade Visitor or Buyer for unlimited and free admission on June 13 and 14. Please note registration is required for admission on June 13 and before 2 pm on June 14 after which visitors can pay for admission.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
