Monday, July 29, 2024
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Hong Kong’s premier international travel event, ITE2025, will be hosted from June 12-15, 2025, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Halls 1A-1E). This significant event, which combines the 39th ITE (Leisure) and the 20th ITE MICE, stands as Asia’s foremost travel fair, showcasing a robust platform for the travel industry.
As the 39th installment of the ITE series and its fifth in-person edition post-COVID-19, ITE2025 continues to be a crucial venue for connecting with regional and local trade professionals, as well as premium FITs in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. The event serves as a pivotal point for the travel industry’s recovery and growth in these thriving markets.
In 2024, ITE set new benchmarks by expanding to five halls, a significant increase from the four used in 2023. The fair has gained international acclaim, with 87% of its 515 exhibitors representing overseas and new countries, including 20 first-time exhibiting nations, predominantly from outside Asia.
The fair’s evolution underscores its increasing global reach and influence, making it a key event for industry stakeholders looking to capitalize on the robust recovery of travel markets across the region.
Hong Kong, frequently ranked as Asia’s third-largest outbound spending market, recorded 72.2 million departures in 2023, representing 76.8% of the pre-pandemic figures from 2019. During the Easter Holiday of 2024, there were 2.27 million departures, equivalent to 30% of the city’s population.
ITE2024 saw an impressive turnout with 7,023 buyers and trade visitors—a boost of 18.4%—and 63,027 public attendees, marking a 12.7% increase. Notably, there was a 24.8% rise, or an additional 3,200, in regional buyers and trade visitors. Among them, 61% came from mainland China, including hosted delegations, while 39% were from other Asian regions.
Despite facing significant weather challenges, including severe rainstorms that resulted in multiple warning signals, ITE2024 successfully attracted a larger audience of regional and public visitors.
Regional trade and public visitor numbers rebounded to 75.2% and 85.6% of pre-pandemic levels, respectively. ITE’s public attendees, primarily high-value FITs, showed promising trends: surveys revealed that two-thirds plan to increase their travel spending in the coming year, with many being frequent travelers.
Quoting exhibitors, a business daily reported “some cooling (of pent-up demand) this year but results remaining ideal”; and a Japan hotel chain which target B2B and B2C found “results at present deemed exceeding our expectation”.
Hosted by TKS Exhibition Services Ltd, the annual ITE benefits from robust backing by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, with additional support from the Hong Kong Tourism Board and other organizations. To aid in the industry’s recovery, the event will maintain its raw space rental rates at 2019 levels and offer ongoing early payment discounts.