HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - 18September 2018 - With 7.5 million people, Hong Kong named World's 10^th/ Asia's 3^rd largest market by total international tourism spendingin 2016^(*1), but by capita spending ranked top among world's 10largest markets! Latest figures show the city continues spending more ontraveling abroad! 

In 2017, Hong Kong spent US$25.5 billion oninternational tourism, up 5.8%! The city's travel agents reported outboundpackage tour business in the first half this year grew by 14.8%!^(*2)

Several popular destinations reported morearrivals last year from Hong Kong. For examples, Japan had 21.3% more or 2.23million, Thailand up 9.5% to 820,000, and Australia 13.8% more to 282,100.

FIT (free independent traveler) consistently dominate Hong Kong's outbound, which again comfirmed bysurvey in last June on public visitors of ITE Hong Kong, the city's onlytravel fair. Over 3000 replies were collected online and onsite, whilevisitors in two public days totaled 90055.

ITE'spublic visitors are found to be mature (67% aged between 35 and 64); welleducated (university 42% & post secondary 32%); female outnumbering male bythree to two; overall, 84% prefer traveling in FIT or privatetours !  Many have multiple holidays in past year - 13% had 6 or moreholidays, 44% had 3 to 5, 40% had 1 to 2, and only 2.5% no holiday.

Theiroutlook positive: 49% will spend more in next 12 months, 27% maintainingand only 5% reduce spending! On destinations to visit within next two years,54% picked East and North-east Asia, 42% South & South-east Asia, and 39%Europe etc.

Theyare keen on theme travel too! For examples, Culture & Historical, GourmetTour, Cruise, Eco-tourism & Outdoor, Travel Photography and Driving Toureach drew, in the last survey, over 30% positive responses etc.

Techsavvy, 60% prefer book online directly with suppliers like airline and hotelwith 19% interest in joining tour at destination, while booking through onlinetravel agent is a lower figure of 50%, and an even lower 40% of booking withtraditional travel agent. Coincidentally 63% interest in booking holiday and55% attending seminar in ITE. So realistic for foreign sellers dealingdirectly with Hong Kong Affluent FIT !  

Combiningleisure and MICE travels, ITE Hong Kong 2018 was attended by 666 exhibitors(87% from abroad and China) with some 180 present MICE products; and in twotrade days which require registration for admission, 12460 buyers and visitorswith 73% from Hong Kong and 21% from mainland China ; while by sectors6580 from travel agents or operators and 2567 MICE or corporations.

Organizedby TKS Exhibition Services Ltd., supported by the Ministryof Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong TourismBoard, ITE Hong Kong2019 (33rd ITE & 14th ITEMICE), will be held from June 13 to 16 at the HongKong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Detail &enquiry: www.itehk.comor travel@tkshk.com.

Notes:     *1 -- UNWTO World Tourism Barometer March 2017

               *2 -- Travel Industry Council Hong Kong Latest Tourism Statistics 11 July 2018