A senior official of the Hong Kong Tourism Board told PTI that in 2023, 2.8 lakh Indian travellers visited Hong Kong and the country is now looking to double that number by the end of 2024. PTI quoted Puneet Kumar, Director for South Asia and Middle East at the Hong Kong Tourism Board, as saying, “We aim to double this number.” [2.8 lakh visitors] This year, we have planned a series of festivals and events to enhance tourism. By the end of the first half of 2024, Hong Kong welcomed 181,000 visitors from India, which is 89% of pre-COVID-19 levels.”
Given the upward trend, the tourism board hopes to surpass the pre-Covid arrival figures of 2018, Kumar added.
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“The year 2018 is used as a reference as 2019 saw a significant decline in tourism due to widespread protests in Hong Kong over a proposed amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, which led to numerous flight cancellations,” he added.
The Tourism Board is positioning the city as a year-round destination with major events and festivals, Kumar said, highlighting the ease of travel, noting that Hong Kong is well connected to major Indian cities and offers visa-free entry for Indian travellers, who only need to complete an online pre-arrival registration, which takes about 10 minutes. (Image: Reuters)
In 2018, approximately 400,000 Indians and a total of 33 million international travelers visited the ROC Special Administrative Region. The city is expected to welcome 34 million international visitors by 2023, and 21 million travelers have already visited Hong Kong to date.
He noted that Indian travelers are among the biggest spenders in Hong Kong, with an average spend of HKD 9,139 (₹1 lakh) per person. Moreover, the average length of stay of Indian visitors increased from three days in 2018 to 4.5 days in 2024.
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The Tourism Board is positioning the city as a year-round destination with major events and festivals, Kumar said, highlighting the ease of travel, noting that Hong Kong is well connected to major Indian cities and offers visa-free entry for Indian travelers, who only need to complete an online pre-arrival registration, which takes about 10 minutes.
The tourism board, which primarily targets Gen Z and millennials, aims to encourage frequent and repeat visits. “We are promoting Hong Kong as the events capital of Asia, catering to an age group that is very interested in concerts and festivals, thus encouraging them to visit Hong Kong regularly,” Kumar said.
The board is focusing on the leisure and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) segments. In terms of leisure, Hong Kong is targeting families who want to enjoy a cruise holiday. India is also a key market for group incentive travel for Hong Kong, Kumar said.
(With contributions from PTI)
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