HKTB concludes Hong Kong Travel Mission in India

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has successfully wrapped up its annual Hong Kong Travel Mission in India, covering the cities of Mumbai, Chennai, and New Delhi from August 20 to 23. This year’s mission featured a 36-seller delegation, including key Hong Kong trade partners such as iconic attractions, theme parks, leading hotels, destination management companies (DMCs), airlines, and cruise lines. The delegation engaged with over 500 Indian trade partners, including agents from satellite markets in the three metro cities.

The mission highlighted the significant growth in tourism from India to Hong Kong, a destination favoured for its visa-free entry and direct flight options. From January to June this year, Hong Kong welcomed 21 million visitors, with 181,000 from India alone, marking a remarkable 155 percent Y-o-Y increase. Indian tourists, predominantly aged 26-35 (24 percent) and 36-45 (29 percent), contributed significantly to this surge, with 31 percent travelling for vacations. Notably, over 15 percent of Indian visitors originated from tier 2 cities, with the remainder from tier 1 cities.

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 there's 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."

Popular attractions among Indian tourists 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 drawing significant attention.

Additionally, Hong Kong’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector remains strong, with approximately 700,000 MICE arrivals in the first half of the year. To further enhance its appeal, HKTB launched the “Hong Kong Incentive Playbook,” offering over 100 group experiences across five themes, aiming to position Hong Kong as the ultimate destination for incentive travel.