ITE Hong Kong Travel Expo, reaching 80% pre-pandemic levels in 2023, announces its 2024 event with expanded international presence.
HONG KONG – The annual ITE Hong Kong Travel Expo, which is already back to around 80% pre-pandemic in 2023, will next be held from 13 to 16 June 2024 in 5 halls from 1A to 1E of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Using 4 halls, ITE2023 with two trade days and two public days drew 499 exhibitors 90% from abroad; 5932 trade visitors 25% from China and Asia; and 55929 public visitors majority premium FIT. With some 150 booths, mainland China staged the largest pavilion while Japan, whose exhibitors included prefectures and enterprises, the second largest. Highly popular, the Japan pavilion is crowded with visitors who made enquiry and bookings in the booths or were busy taking pictures with KOL and mascots in its photo booth, etc.
In 2019, Hong Kong spent US$26.9 billion on international tourism and ranked the World’s 12th and Asia’s 3rd largest source market; and ITE drew some 3000 buyers and trade visitors from China, the world’s largest market.
Recovering strongly in 2023, Hong Kong between Jan and Aug saw air-ticket sales reach HK$12.23 billion, up 279% over 2022; and residents made 42.7 million departures with 20.3 million between June and August; and outbound to Japan from Jan to Sep totaled 1.48 million which back to 89.3% of 2019.
ITE2023 public visitor survey in late April collected over 2100 replies and found pent-up travel demand strong and sustainable: (a) 70% prefer FIT and 22% package tour and FIT; (b) over 70% each to spend more on traveling and taking 3 or more outbound holiday in the coming year; (c) well educated as nearly half with university education etc.
Thus, ITE is a proven and effective platform for promoting and selling of travel products for summer and beyond to important markets of, say, Hong Kong and southern China.
First held over 35 years ago, the annual ITE is Asia’s major outbound travel fair, organized by TKS Exhibition Services Ltd and strongly supported by Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China with Hong Kong Tourism Board, Macau Government Tourist Office etc as Supporters.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.