Hong Kong Tourism Board Brings its Annual Hong Kong Travel Mission to India as Tourist Numbers from the Country Surge

• Hong Kong welcomed 181,000 visitors from India, a remarkable 155% year-on-year increase during the first half of 2024

• The city will stage year-round mega events – the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, Taste Around Town, Hong Kong Winterfest, and the most awaited New Year Countdown Fireworks to name a few

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is excited to announce the successful conclusion of its 3-city annual Hong Kong Travel Mission to India covering Mumbai, Chennai, and New Delhi, which took place from August 20 to August 23. This years mission featured a dynamic 36-seller delegation of key Hong Kong Trade Partners including iconic attractions, theme parks, leading hotels, destination management companies (DMCs), airlines, and cruise lines. The team engaged effectively with over 500 Indian trade partners including agents from satellite markets of three metro cities. The mission highlights the significant growth in tourism traffic from the Indian subcontinent to Hong Kong, a destination known for its visa-free and direct flight options.

Highlights from the HKTBs latest Travel Mission to India featuring various trade partners and Puneet Kumar, Director, South Asia & Middle East, Hong Kong Tourism Board

The Travel Mission aligns with the significant growth in tourism from India to Hong Kong. From January to June this year, Hong Kong welcomed 21 million visitors, including 181,000 from India alone-a remarkable 155% year-on-year increase. Indian tourists predominantly fall within the 26-35 age group (24%) and 36-45 age group (29%). Notably, 31% of Indian visitors travelled for vacation purposes, and over 15% originated from tier 2 cities, while the rest were from the predominant tier 1 cities. Among popular attractions and points of interest, Hong Kong Disneyland, Temple Street/Ladies’ Market, Ocean Park, The Peak, and Tsim Sha Tsui emerged as the top 5 choices for Indian tourists, followed closely by Ngong Ping 360 and Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck.

In 2018, approximately 386, 681 Indians and a total of 65.1 million international travellers visited Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is working to promote year-round tourism through various programs such as the Summer Chill Hong Kong and Hong Kong Incentive Playbook and various year-round Mega Events such as – the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, Taste Around Town, Hong Kong Winterfest, and the Hong Kong New Year Countdown.

The new “Summer Chill Hong Kong” campaign features the “Summer Triple Rewards” promotion. The 3-month long program from July to September will provide 500,000 sets of rewards to all overnight visitors to Hong Kong, including benefits in transportation, sightseeing, dining, and retail totalling over HK$100 million.

Puneet Kumar, Director, South Asia & Middle East, Hong Kong Tourism Board, said, “At Hong Kong Tourism, we are dedicated to enhancing the travel experience for Indian tourists through a variety of engaging programs and events. Our initiatives, such as Summer Chill Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Incentive Playbook, are designed to offer tailored experiences and vibrant opportunities throughout the year. Additionally, our year-round mega events ensure that theres always something exciting in-town happenings that are different for our Indian guests. We registered a robust improvement in average length of stay of 4.2 nights and average per capita spending of HK$ 9,100 per person. The recent surge in footfall from key Indian cities shows the increasing interest of tourists in the exceptional experiences Hong Kong has to offer.“

Additionally, Hong Kong’s vibrant MICE sector remains robust, with approximately 700,000 MICE arrivals out of the overnight visitors recorded during the first half of the year.

In line with its commitment to enhancing Hong Kong’s appeal to MICE visitors, the HKTB has launched a new incentive initiative this year: “Hong Kong Incentive Playbook, Up the Game for Your Team”. This program introduces a wide array of over 100 innovative and authentic group experiences designed to inspire and energise corporate teams. The experiences are curated under five engaging themes: “Arts & Culture,” “Wellness & Nature”, “Neighbourhoods”, “Nightlife & Parties”, and “Hong Kong Signatures”. These themes aim to promote Hong Kong as the ultimate destination for incentive travel, combining fun and creativity to boost team morale and productivity.

About Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB)

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is a government-subvented body tasked to market and promote Hong Kong as a travel destination worldwide and enhance visitors experience once they arrive. These include making recommendations to the Government and other relevant bodies on the range and quality of visitor facilities.

The HKTB’s missions are to maximise the social and economic contribution made by tourism to the community of Hong Kong and to consolidate Hong Kong’s position as a unique, world-class, and most desired destination.