Hong Kong is experiencing a resurgence in its business events industry, with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) reporting a significant rebound in 1H2024.
The city welcomed approximately 21 million visitors during this period, with half opting for overnight stays. Business events travellers accounted for 700,000 of these overnight visitors, marking a recovery of around 80 per cent compared to the same period in 2018, making this the fastest-growing visitor segment in Hong Kong.
Each business events visitor spends an average of HK$8,000 (US$1,028), which is 20 to 30 per cent higher than the overall average spending per visitor. Additionally, they tend to stay longer, with an average of 3.7 nights compared to 3.2 nights for other visitors.
To sustain this momentum, the HKTB has been actively securing major international business events. Over 60 large-scale events, including world congresses, tradeshows, and mega meetings, have been confirmed for Hong Kong between 2024 and 2026. These events – many of which are inaugural – are expected to attract more than 180,000 visitors.
The city is diversifying its business events offerings beyond its traditional strengths in innovation and technology, medical sciences, and finance, as new sectors like aviation, architecture, and education, emerge. Notable events include the return of ACM SIGGRAPH Asia in 2025, the inaugural SmartCon 2024 and Consensus Hong Kong 2025, and the aviation-focused Super Terminal Expo 2024, Routes World 2025, and Airspace Asia Pacific 2025 and 2027.
The HKTB has outlined a five-point strategy to further boost business events tourism. This includes bidding for more international events; offering various funding schemes; tailoring specific programmes for the business events industry such as the Hong Kong Incentive Playbook, and Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors; enhancing tourist experiences ranging from sightseeing tours to complimentary museum tickets; and leveraging Hong Kong’s position as a “super-connector” between international businesses and mainland China.
