The co-located 26th edition of ITE and the 7th edition of ITE MICE had record numbers of exhibitors, buyers and trade visitors, and public visitors; drew 8 new destinations and 7 new official pavilions / stands; launched successfully new travel themes of Honeymooning & Overseas Wedding, Study Tours, and Travel & Photography. Other themes highlighted included MICE, Cruise, Wellness & Medical Tourism, and the Hong Kong Travel Agents Zone.
Held from June 14 to 17 this year at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center, the four days expo drew from 54 countries and regions worldwide 665 international exhibitors, up 2.6%; 12175 regional buyers and visitors in the two trade days, up 3%; and 70,430 visitors in the two public days, up 1.6%.
Indeed, the Travel Expo provides a one-stop platform covering the markets of the regional travel trade, MICE and corporate travel, and Hong Kong's affluent FIT, who can travel to over 140 countries and regions in the World without visa.
To welcome all ITE & MICE participants, Mr. Donald TSANG, Chief Executive of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, has again sent a Message! Officiating ITE & MICE this year were Mr. John C TSANG, GBM, JP, Financial Secretary of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Mr. SHAO Qiwei, Chairman of China National Tourism Administration.
Other Guests taking part in the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Opening included Mr. Philip YUNG, JP, Commissioner for Tourism, Tourism Commission, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; H.E. Mr. So MARA, Secretary of State of Tourism of Cambodia; and Ms. WU Yi Huan, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government etc
Some 85% of the exhibitors of ITE & MICE this year came from outside Hong Kong, and over 50% of the participating countries and regions from outside Asia. In all, there were over 30 official pavilions and stands by tourism boards. The Travel Expo thus maintains a highly international profile of exhibitors, and is therefore particularly attractive to local and regional visitors.
Geographically, 20% of the buyers and visitors in the trade days were from mainland China, 7% from abroad and the remaining 73% from Hong Kong. While details are yet to be published, past records showed some 5500 of them were from travel agents or tour operators, over 2,800 from the MICE industry and corporations, and around 800 from trade and public media from Hong Kong, mainland China especially Guangdong, and abroad.
Using our online system with accesses controlled by password and weeks before the opening, buyers and sellers of ITE & MICE this year arranged their own pre-appointments. For the first time, a Business Matching session was held this year at the Expo to facilitate buyers meeting sellers.
Seminars for the travel trade were held in the trade days and covered topic such as Asian Outbound Forum, Cruise, Wellness & Medical Tourism, Honeymooning and Overseas Wedding etc, while the second trade day was designated MICE & Corporate Travel Day when related seminars were held.
Some 80 travel seminars and cultural performances sponsored by tourism boards from abroad were held in the public days. While detail analysis is yet to be completed, past records showed over 70% of the public visitors of ITE & MICE prefer traveling in FIT, some 30% interested in attending onsite travel seminars and 20% in making onsite purchases or bookings.
The annual ITE & MICE Hong Kong is organized by TKS Exhibition Services Ltd, and supported by China National Tourism Administration, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, and the Macau Government Tourists Office.
The next ITE & MICE, respectively the 27th edition of ITE and the 8th edition of ITE MICE, will be held from June 13-16, 2013 at Halls 1A to 1E of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center, with the first two days for trade only and the last two days open also to the public. |
