Friday, August 30, 2024 The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has concluded its annual Hong Kong Travel Mission in India, which took place from August 20 to 23, covering Mumbai, Chennai, and New Delhi. This year’s mission showcased a 36-member delegation representing key Hong Kong trade partners, including major attractions, renowned theme parks, top-tier hotels, destination management companies (DMCs), airlines, and cruise lines. The delegation engaged with more than 500 Indian trade partners, including agents from satellite markets in the three metro areas.
The event emphasized the substantial growth in tourism from India to Hong Kong, a destination popular for its visa-free entry and convenient direct flight options. Between January and June this year, Hong Kong recorded 21 million visitors, with 181,000 coming from India, representing an impressive 155% year-on-year increase. The majority of Indian tourists were aged between 26-35 (24%) and 36-45 (29%), with 31% visiting for leisure purposes.
Notably, over 15% of these Indian travelers hailed from tier 2 cities, while the rest were from tier 1 cities. Among Indian visitors, favorite attractions included Hong Kong Disneyland, Temple Street/Ladies’ Market, Ocean Park, The Peak, and Tsim Sha Tsui, with Ngong Ping 360 and Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck also being highly popular. Hong Kong’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector also showed strong performance, attracting around 700,000 MICE visitors in the first half of the year.
To further boost its attractiveness, the HKTB introduced the “Hong Kong Incentive Playbook,” which offers over 100 group experiences across five distinct themes, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a premier destination for incentive travel..
