The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) recently hosted a five-day familiarisation tour for travel agents from Mainland China and India, spotlighting the city’s refreshed lineup of immersive cultural experiences.
A major highlight was the signature Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races. To mark the event’s 50th anniversary, Sun Life and the HKTB partnered to expand the celebration into a vibrant 13-day dragon boat carnival along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade.
This showcase comes at a time when geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East are prompting corporations to divert incentive travel away from Gulf transit routes, leading to a surge in demand for safe destinations like Hong Kong.
For direct-selling companies like Oriflame Cosmetics (China) Co., which organises annual distributor conferences and incentive trips, this regional pivot has reshaped their planning.
Event manager, Jessie Ye, explained: “We used to recommend transiting through the Middle East to Europe, but we now propose South-east Asia and Hong Kong for safety. To maximise impact and manage budgets, the industry is increasingly combining annual conferences with incentive trips, while favouring smaller, more experiential gatherings.”
This shift toward deeper engagement has also changed how corporate groups view local culture.
“Organisers today want events that bridge corporate goals with local civic spirit,” Ye noted. “Hong Kong’s ‘can-do’ attitude perfectly mirrors our own entrepreneurial drive. Since we only repeat destinations every five to six years, we look for deep, meaningful experiences. One example is Hong Kong horse racing; it blends entertainment with local charity traditions, offering the kind of fresh, community-minded engagement we want to integrate into our programmes.”
Aarsh Gyani, head of international MICE at India Hospitality Mart, shared a similar perspective upon returning to the city after several years.
“Incentive tours originally planned for the Americas are shifting to Asia because companies want to avoid flying senior management through the Gulf,” Gyani said. “Hong Kong stands out as a prominent, stable hub with seamless direct flight connectivity to multiple Indian cities.”
Once on the ground, the city’s evolving appeal and business events-ready infrastructure became apparent to Gyani.
“The destination feels refreshed. For instance, the Hong Kong Geopark is a remarkable product we can now pitch to corporate groups. Watching the dragon boat races was also a first for me – it’s a beautiful tradition that Indian travellers can relate to,” he added.
However, keeping Hong Kong competitive in a budget-conscious climate requires strong structural backing, making government funding schemes important for locking in corporate groups.
Ye praised the flexibility of the HKTB’s current support model, particularly its accessibility for mid-sized events.
“Subsidies are now available for smaller groups of around 400 participants, not just mega-groups. These exclusive experiences couldn’t materialise without government backing, as local receiving agents have limited leverage. For instance, horse racing used to be a niche activity, but HKTB’s support now allows us to weave this authentic culture into our clients’ incentive programmes,” she noted.
Ultimately, these subsidies help bridge the gap between Hong Kong’s premium reputation and tightening corporate budgets.
Gyani agreed: “Hong Kong is perceived as a premium Asian MICE product, so budget is always a major factor. Yet, it is far more dynamic and surprising than Singapore, and highly competitive against destinations like Thailand or Vietnam.”
To illustrate the impact of this support and why it makes pitching Hong Kong to his clients so seamless, Gyani shared a recent success story.
“We have a group of 230 people arriving next week who wanted to come to Hong Kong, but were struggling with budgets slashed by the geopolitical climate. HKTB’s incentive scheme completely saved the trip. Their subsidy model is excellent, and they constantly keep us updated on new venues, conventions, and mega-events like the dragon boat races and Halloween celebrations, making it incredibly easy to pitch the city.”
